Cardiff Council and South Wales Police have strengthened the team of officers who can take action against irresponsible dog owners. Around 70 more PCSOs were trained this week to issue fixed penalty notices for dog fouling by Council education and enforcement officers.
Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Ashley Govier said, ‘With another 70 PCSOs trained to deal with dog fouling, this administration is showing once again we are taking the fight to dog owners who think nothing of leaving a mess on our streets and parks. Since April 2012, we have issued 95 fixed penalty notices compared to just 2 in the previous 4 years with 130 PCSOs now equipped to issues the notices alongside our park rangers and enforcement teams. In a perfect world, owners would take responsibility for their dog’s waste but sadly we have to use considerable resources to put the message out there that we will not tolerate this anti-social behaviour.’
The officers took part in a training session on Wednesday 29th January at County Hall, were issued with their fixed penalty notice books and are now ready to enforce the law on this offence out of Ely, Roath, Canton, Cardiff Bay and St Mellons police stations.
Pc Tony Parker, from the Community Safety Department of South Wales Police,
said:
“Many dog owners act responsibly but unfortunately many do not and the evidence can be seen left behind on our pavements and in our parks and playgrounds which create a health risk, spoils enjoyment and causes difficulties for those who clean these areas.
“Dog fouling is a common concern voiced by residents at Pact meetings and surgeries and we are also regularly contacted by councillors about the problem.
“We hope this will be deterrent and make dog owners act more responsibly and clear away their dogs’ mess.”
Cllr Govier added:
“It is an issue that is raised time and time again by residents and we are exploring all options to address this perennial problem and we’re already deploying needs based cleansing teams to react to issues as they arise. This excellent partnership with South Wales Police shows we are serious about making a difference to the quality of peoples’ lives and share our community responsibilities. We will not give up on punishing those who spoil the environment for everybody else – it’s simple, if you don’t want the fine, don’t do the crime.“
