29 dog walkers available in Leicester
| Service | Typical range (GBP) |
|---|---|
| 30-minute solo walk | £12–£18 |
| 60-minute solo walk | £18–£28 |
| Group walk | £10–£16 |
| Drop-in visit | £12–£18 |
| Overnight sit | £30–£55 |
These are national guideline ranges — local rates in Leicester vary with solo vs group walks, peak after-work times, and the number of dogs.
Treat the meet-and-greet like an interview. Ask to see proof of insurance and any pet first-aid certification, ask for two client references you can actually call, and confirm how keys are handled (a written key agreement is the professional standard). Watch how the walker greets your dog — a good one gets low and lets the dog approach. Agree in writing on the exact service, rate, cancellation policy, and the emergency plan (which vet, who they call).
In England & Wales the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (section 3) makes it a CRIMINAL offence to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere — and it bites the owner AND any person in charge of the dog at the time, so a walker or sitter is directly on the hook.
These state-level rules apply across England; the local rules that govern day-to-day walking are on the Local bylaws tab.
Under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 it is a criminal offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control in ANY place — public or private, including a private home. Crucially, the offence is committed by the owner AND, if different, by any person who is for the time being in charge of the dog — so a walker, sitter or handler is directly liable, not just the owner. 'Dangerously out of control' means there are reasonable grounds to apprehend the dog will injure someone — the dog does not have to bite. It becomes an aggravated offence if the dog injures a person (or an assistance dog). Penalties are serious: up to 6 months (magistrates) for the basic offence and up to 5 years' imprisonment on indictment where a person is injured (life where a death results), an unlimited fine, plus destruction and disqualification orders. An owner may have a defence if they left the dog with someone they reasonably believed a fit and proper person to be in charge of it — which puts the exposure squarely on the person handling the dog.
Section 1 of the Act prohibits four types outright — the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro — with type judged by how the dog looks, not its breed name or paperwork. The American XL Bully was added in England & Wales: from 31 December 2023 it had to be microchipped and kept muzzled and on a lead in public, and from 1 February 2024 it became illegal to own one without a Certificate of Exemption (owners had until 31 January 2024 to apply). An exempt XL Bully must be neutered, microchipped, kept muzzled and on a lead in public at all times, and kept securely so it cannot escape. Owning a prohibited dog without an exemption is a criminal offence. This is walker-critical: never take on a dog that may be a banned type or a non-exempt or non-compliant XL Bully.
Separate from the criminal law, the Animals Act 1971 (section 2) is the main civil compensation route. A dog is a non-dangerous species, so it falls under section 2(2): the keeper can face strict liability (no need to prove negligence) where a three-part test is met — the damage was of a kind the dog was likely to cause or likely to be severe, that likelihood was due to characteristics not normal for the species except in particular circumstances, and those characteristics were known to the keeper. A person can be a keeper even without control at the moment of the incident, and there can be more than one keeper. Ordinary negligence claims also run alongside. This is the (non-criminal) route by which an injured person recovers damages.
Microchipping has been compulsory in England since 6 April 2016 (dogs from 8 weeks; keep registered details current — non-compliance can bring a fine up to £500). Under the Control of Dogs Order 1992, a dog on a public highway or public place must wear a collar bearing the owner's name and address — the ID tag is a legal requirement in addition to the chip. There is no blanket national leash law, but councils issue Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) that can require dogs on leads in specified areas, exclude dogs from places (playgrounds, marked beaches seasonally), require picking up mess, and — critically for walkers — limit the number of dogs one person may walk (often a cap of around four). Breaches draw a Fixed Penalty Notice (commonly £100) or prosecution. PSPOs vary by council, so the rules change from area to area. (This layer covers England & Wales, which share this law; Scotland and Northern Ireland differ.)