Renewed efforts are under way to help clear up the dirty business of dog fouling. Councillors agreed today to trial the use of dog waste dispensers in the hope that the mess left behind by man’s best friend can be dealt with.
Four dog waste dispensers will be bought and kept stocked with dog waste bags for 12 months. They will be placed on paths at the Clickimin and the Knab.
The decision to push ahead with the 12-month trial came after a report by head of the council’s environmental health, Maggie Sandison, was put before members of the environment and transport committee.
Free dog waste bags have, in fact, been available before. In April last year the council decided to stop giving out the bags as part of an exercise to trim £1,000 from the environmental health budget.
However, the bags are coming back after a company, which was involved in a pollution incident, made a £500 donation as a goodwill gesture after paying for the clear-up.
Should the donation fail to provide sufficient packs to service the units for the full 12-month period, the trial will be evaluated sooner and the results reported back to councillors at an earlier date.
During the meeting there was discussion among members about the importance of enforcement. Anyone caught failing to dispose of their dog waste could face a £40 fixed penalty, rising to £60 if it goes unpaid.
“The intention is to see if the provision of the bags where people walk their dogs makes a difference to the level of fouling in the area,” Mrs Sandison said.
Readers' Comments
I am glad to see any positive steps taken to tackle dog fouling but can’t help feel supplying bags isn’t going to solve the problem.
In my opinion anyone (like myself) that picks up their dogs mess already take bags out with them. It’s the people who have little or no intention of picking up that are the issue!
I suspect all you will do by providing bags is save the folks that already bought bags from having to buy them.
I’d also like to say it is disgusting leaving used bags by the side of a pavement. Whether people take the opinion that they will “pick it up on the way back” or they are just removing it from the pathway it is still disgusting. Other people don’t want your bags littering the pathways… Please use the bins!
- W ConroyAugust 16, 2012
I take my dog down the Clickimin twice a day and I am disgusted with the dog poo that isn’t picked up, I carry bags with me and always pick up if my dog does it’s business I couldn’t leave it lying, if people want a dog they should pick up behind it that is being a responsible owner. People I meet down there always pick up but I never seem to see the one’s who don’t or I would be pulling them up about it.
Julie Ritson
- JulieAugust 16, 2012
Somehow doubt dog fouling should be top of the councils agenda. Seems like the council and dog waste bins are full of the same thing.
- S. ThomsonAugust 17, 2012
I don’t think I own a pair of trousers, jacket or bag without a dog poo bag in the pocket. It’d not exactly rocket science is it?
- Jan MayenAugust 17, 2012