Dogs

Dogs are welcome in Wassenaar! There are a variety of dog walking routes. There are also places where you can let you dog roam free. However, sometimes dogs can be a nuisance. Dog poop is public irritation number one. It is also possible that people are not thrilled if your dog is not on a leash. Therefore the municipality has come up with rules and regulations for everyone – dog owners and others – to limit the inconvenience as much as possible.

These rules are strictly enforced:

  • Dogs must always be kept on a leash except in marked “dog run” areas 
  • Dogs are only allowed to run free in free-run areas
  • You must clean up after your dog everywhere in the Wassenaar, including the “dog run” areas
  • Dog owners must carry a “pooper-scooper” with them at all times. You must be able to show that you have paper or plastic baggies or a small scoop with you
  • Princess garden at “De Paauw” estate
  • Persijnhof cemetery
  • On the beach (apart from the specifically appointed run free zone) during the summer season from May 15 to September 15, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m
  • No dogs are allowed in children’s playgrounds or near signs (verboden voor honden), recreation meadows, sandbox and barbecue areas
  • The above rules do not apply to seeing-eye dogs. Owners of seeing-eye dogs are not obliged to clean up after their dog

Fines:

Supervisors of the public area can fine you for letting your dog off the leash where it is not allowed. These fines can be levied in the following situations:

  • Presence in a location where is its prohibited
  • Not cleaning up after your dog
  • Off the leash where it is not permitted
  • No collar

Dog run free areas

Dogs must be on the lead in the whole of the municipality. There are however sufficient areas exempt from the this restriction, where a dog may roam unleashed:

  • “de Paauw” estate;
  • the wooded stretch at Sparrenlaantje;
  • the field at Parklaan (near alderman Huibregtseschool), enclosed by Burmanlaan/Clematislaan /Violierenweg/Parklaan;
  • the part of the Berkhei field enclosed by Storm van ’s-Gravesandeweg/Kerkhoflaan/Sophieke-huis/Luciehof/Berkheistraat, next to the market square;
  • the wooded stretch between Katwijkseweg and the Duinrell grounds;
  • the paths and/or dikes around the woods Weteringbos I and II. For Weteringbos II up to the dam because of the proximity of the kid’s farm and the children’s playground;
  • the footpath along the Zijlwatering canal between Hofcampweg and Zuidwijklaan;
  • the footpath along the Zijlwatering canal behind the houses at van Duivenvoordelaan, between Groeneveltlaan and Bellesteijnlaan;
  • part of the Hartenkamp grounds, behind the wood barn, bordered by the parking lot, the driveway of Backershagenlaan and the (former) skating rink;
  • part of the promenade route in the Kerkehout quarter, starting from the bridge at the allotments up to Verlengde Wittelaan;
  • The fair grounds at Dr. Mansveltkade (barring the play field) except during the fair or other events;
  • The part of the beach north of the exit halfway between beach markers HP 91 and HP92.

Breeding season

Breeding season runs from the 1st of March until the 1st of August. The breeding season has begun. During this period dogs must be kept on a leash: De Wittenburg, de Wiltzanck, De Hartenkamp,  Landgoed Backershagen. This prohibition also applies to the dunes. In the municipality Wassenaar your dog must always be kept on a leash in Rust en Vreugd, and along all bicycle paths in the dune areas and in the dune area of Meijendel. Except for the places that have explicitly been designated as free dog areas. Failure to comply with this rule will be fined.

Outside the breeding season dogs are also allowed to be without a lead in:

  • grounds of “de Wittenburg”
  • grounds of “Wiltzanck”
  • grounds of “Hartenkamp”
  • estate “Backershagen”

Dogs on the beach

For visitors of the beach pavilions at the Wassenaarse Slag it is allowed to walk with the dog on a leash over the beach access road towards the pavilions. This is only allowed with a leashed dog and at the back of the pavilions during the period from May 15th to September 15th. It is forbidden to walk with the dog at the front of the pavilions because this is designated as a recreational beach.

Dogtax

The Belastingsamenwerking Gouwe- Rijnland (BSGR) collects the dogtaxes on behalf of municipal Wassenaar. Dog tax is charged annually and is calculated on the number of dogs in each household. The charge varies for the first and second dog and each subsequent animal. It is the owner's responsibility to declare each dog to the municipality within 14 days of acquiring it.

What is it used for?

The hondenbelasting, or dog tax, collected from dog owners can be used for, poop receptacles and signs, informational material and poop-scoop bags.

The calculation for dog tax is as follows:

  • For the first dog
  • For the second dog
  • For each dog above two
  • If you own a dog kennel, and it is registered with the “Raad van beheer op kynologisch gebied in Nederland”

Questions?

Call BSGR via 071 - 525 62 00 or mail info@bsgr.nl or visit the website of the BSGR.