Council begins new effort to tackle dog fouling

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.

COMMENTS(4)

Add Your Comment
  • W Conroy

    • August 16th, 2012 13:56

    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!

    REPLY
  • Julie

    • August 16th, 2012 22:41

    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

    REPLY
  • S. Thomson

    • August 17th, 2012 0:29

    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.

    REPLY
  • Jan Mayen

    • August 17th, 2012 11:22

    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?

    REPLY

Add Your Comment

Please note, it is the policy of The Shetland Times to publish comments and letters from named individuals only. Both forename and surname are required.

Comments are moderated. Contributors must observe normal standards of decency and tolerance for the opinions of others.

The views expressed are those of contributors and not of The Shetland Times.

The Shetland Times reserves the right to decline or remove any contribution without notice or stating reason.

Comments are limited to 200 words but please email longer articles or letters to editorial@shetlandtimes.co.uk for consideration and include a daytime telephone number and your address. If emailing information in confidence please put "Not for publication" in both the subject line and at the top of the main message.

200 words left

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

logo

Get Latest News in Your Inbox

Join the The Shetland Times mailing list to get one daily email update at midday on what's happening in Shetland.