Dog Policy

Revised Rules for Dogs

You enjoy spending time with your dog and would like to let it run free. You may let your dog run free in the off-leash areas. These are marked on the map at the bottom of this post and indicated by signs at the locations. In the Rosenburgh off-leash area, there is a limit of three dogs per handler. You can read more about this in the informational letter.

Dog waste is a major nuisance for many residents of Voorschoten. To keep our village a pleasant place to live, the municipality has updated the rules for walking dogs. These are set forth in the General Local Ordinance. When you walk your dog, you must bring cleanup supplies, such as a plastic bag or a dog waste scoop, and clean up after your dog. This applies to both leashed and off-leash areas.

Enforcement of Cleanup and Leash Requirements

The municipality’s Special Investigative Officers (BOAs) enforce regulations such as the requirement to clean up after dogs and the leash law. Dog owners can be fined for these violations. The table below lists the fines that apply to these violations.

Article 2:57 Walking Dogs

[Given the consolidated version of the ordinance presented to the city council, Article Y of the ordinance adopting the third amendment was interpreted as referring to Article 2:53 and not to Article 2:57, which was also mentioned.] 

1. The owner or keeper of a dog is prohibited from allowing that dog to remain or be walked: a. within a built-up area in a public place as defined in Article 1:1, preamble, under
   1. without that dog being on a leash;
   2. at a public playground, sandbox, or play area, or at another location designated by the municipal executive;
   3. outside a built-up area at a location designated by the municipal council if the dog is not on a leash; or 
   4. on the road without wearing a collar or other identification tag that clearly identifies the owner or keeper.
2. The prohibition set forth in the first paragraph, preamble and subparagraph (a), does not apply to locations designated by the municipal executive.
3. The prohibitions set forth in the first paragraph, in the introductory clause and in subparagraphs (a) through (c), do not apply to the owner or keeper of a dog:
   1. who, due to a disability, is accompanied by a guide dog or a service dog; or
   2. that demonstrably trains this dog to become a guide dog or a social service dog

Article 2:58 Contamination Caused by Dogs and Horses

1. Anyone who takes a dog to a public place is required to ensure that the dog's feces are removed immediately.
2. The provisions of the first paragraph do not apply to locations designated by the municipal executive
3. Any rider, driver, or person accompanying a horse in a public place is required to ensure that the horse’s manure is removed from the public place as soon as possible.
4. The owner or keeper of a dog is required, when in the locations mentioned in the first paragraph with a dog, to carry a suitable waste disposal tool for the immediate removal of the dog’s feces and is also required to present this tool upon request by a supervisor or a (special) investigative officer.
5. The board may determine the requirements that a suitable cleanup agent must meet.
6. Paragraphs 1 and 4 do not apply to the owner or keeper of a dog who, due to a disability, is accompanied by a guide dog or a service dog.