Bark in the Park all ready for another big day

A family and dog fun day event is set to take place, with a range of activities for dog owners and families to get involved in.

Being held in Hawick’s Wilton Lodge Park on Friday 5 July from 11am to 3pm, Bark in the Park will have stalls, a fun dog show, dog agility, face painting, bouncy castle, colouring competition for children and much more.

A number of charities are also supporting Bark in the Park, including Arthurshiel Rescue Centre, Borders Pet Rescue, British Horse Society, Scottish Dobermann Rescue, PDSA and Guide Dogs Scotland.

Over 500 people have attended the two family and dog fun days held by Scottish Borders Council (SBC) since it began in 2017.

The annual event aims to support SBC’s efforts to encourage responsible dog ownership.

This has included free microchipping and dog poo bags being provided across the Scottish Borders thanks to a partnership with the Dogs Trust, as well as SBC offering vouchers for low cost neutering.

The council also has extensive information and advice for owners on issues including dog fouling, control of dogs and dog theft on a new dedicated section of its website www.scotborders.gov.uk/dogs.

Councillor Sandy Aitchison, SBC’s executive member for Neighbourhoods and Locality Services, said: ‘We know the impact dog fouling can have – it damages everyone’s way of life, is illegal and disgusting, and the blame lies with the irresponsible people who allow their dogs to foul.

‘Our teams work hard to educate and enforce but we need the co-operation of everyone to tackle an issue which can blight lives.

‘At the same time, I know how wonderful dog ownership can be. As a result, I would encourage owners and families to come along to Wilton Lodge Park to see how they can play your part to help us promote responsible ownership.’