Could hot-weather dog walks be banned? What it means for Cornwall

You know the feeling of a proper Cornish scorcher. The car park at the beach is full by nine, the pavements in Truro are throwing heat back up at you, and the dog is still looking at you by the door with the lead in its mouth. A petition signed by thousands of people wants to make that walk against the law once the mercury climbs, and the government has now had its say.

What the petition is asking for

The petition, created by Sarah Jane Derbyshire, calls for new legislation to make it an offence to walk or exercise dogs in dangerously high temperatures, which it sets at 25°C and above. The argument is simple. Every year dogs across the UK suffer and die from heat-related illnesses that could have been avoided, and many owners do not realise how fast things go wrong.

Dogs cannot regulate their body temperature the way people do, and they can overheat within minutes. Hot pavements are the other danger. When the air hits 25°C, the ground underfoot can be far hotter, enough to burn a dog’s paws. Sarah believes a law would prevent needless suffering, raise awareness, and hold owners to account for harm that was avoidable.

You can read and sign the petition on the UK Parliament website until it closes on 24 October 2026.

How many people in Cornwall have signed

The petition is a national one, but Parliament publishes where every signature comes from, and Cornwall is on the list. Across the county’s six constituencies, roughly 140 people have added their names so far. St Austell and Newquay leads the way with 52, followed by North Cornwall on 37 and South East Cornwall on 22. Truro and Falmouth accounts for 16, Camborne and Redruth for 9, and St Ives for 4.

The total has passed 11,000 nationally. At 10,000 the government was required to respond, which it did. At 100,000 the petition would be considered for a debate in Parliament.

What the government said

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs responded on 31 July 2026, and the short version is that it does not back a new law. Its case is that the protection already exists.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is already an offence to cause an animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare, and Defra says that duty covers protecting a dog from extreme temperatures. The Act is backed by Defra’s Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs, which advises owners to avoid exercising dogs in extreme heat where they can. Breaking the code is not an offence on its own, but a court will weigh whether an owner followed it when deciding if an offence under the Act has been committed. The penalties run up to an unlimited fine, imprisonment, or both. Local authorities enforce the Act, often alongside charities such as the RSPCA.

Then comes the part that will interest anyone who has ever had a dog crossing its legs at the back door. Defra argues a blanket ban could actually work against a dog’s welfare in some cases. A short trip outside to go to the toilet might still be needed, it says, as long as it is done safely on a cool or shaded surface. The department’s view is that owners should judge the needs of their own dog, whose tolerance will vary by breed, age, and health, and that the law already requires those needs to be considered.

How to keep a dog safe when Cornwall heats up

The government response points owners towards the advice already put out by the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, and the British Veterinary Association, the guidance that tends to circulate online and in the media every time a heatwave arrives.

Keep a dog in the shade where you can. Keep it hydrated. Before a walk, hold the back of your hand to the pavement, and if it is too hot for your skin it is too hot for paws. And swap the midday walk for safe, supervised play with water. On a hot day in Cornwall that might mean the early beach trip before the crowds, a shaded stretch of the coast path, or simply skipping the walk altogether and letting the dog rest.

The petition stays open until 24 October 2026, and the count is still climbing.