Gwynedd Council is calling on communities to join its Tidy Towns dog fouling campaign by raising awareness of the problem in their locality and reporting persistent offenders or problem areas.
Many communities have already joined the campaign and making a real difference in their area, children have especially been involved in the effort as they are tired of dog mess ruining their play areas and blighting their journey to school.
Pupils from Ysgol Foelgron, Mynytho have been designing signs to put up around the village warning people of their responsibility to bag it and bin it.
Connor said: “It’s dirty, disgusting and dangerous. There are parasites in it which can make us poorly.”
Joseff said: “Why do people leave the dog mess on the floor?”
Bradley said: “We see the dog muck everywhere. Its on the pathway, on the pavement, in the park and on the beach. It sticks to my shoes, to the wheels of my bike and to the wheels of the pram and is carries everywhere.”
Councillor Gareth Roberts, the Council’s Senior Environment Portfolio Leader, said: “Dog mess on pavements and in public places causes more upset than any other type of environmental crime, especially over the summer months when people are out and about enjoying the sunshine.
“We are asking people to name and shame those who are causing real nuisance by allowing their pets to foul in public places. The Council will be clamping down on those found to be flouting the law by not clearing up after their pet.
“Coming into contact with dog mess can cause health problems such as toxocariasis which can lead to serious illness and even blindness. Children are particularly vulnerable to this.
“Cleaning up after irresponsible dog owners is left to the Council – at the tax payers’ expense. I’m sure most people would agree that this is a preventable drain on resources.”
Failing to clear up after your pet is a criminal offence and those found to be responsible could face an on-the-spot fine of £75 and even a court summons and a maximum fine of £1,000.
What can you do?
If you’re a dog owner make sure you always carry plenty of poop-scoop bags with you when you walk your dog. Wrapped dog mess can be put in a public bin or take it home and dispose of it responsibly. To request your free dog poop clean up kit contact Gwynedd Council on 01766 771000 or visit www.gwynedd.gov.uk/TidyTowns
Report dog fouling problems to Gwynedd Council on 01766 77100 or visit www.gwynedd.gov.uk/do-it-online and click on ‘Report’. Any information given will be treated with confidence.
To run an awareness and education campaign in your community, contact the Council’s Tidy Towns Officer on 01766 771000 or e-mail [email protected]
- Gwynedd Council’s Tidy Towns scheme has handed out 120,000 free poop-scoop bags to dog owners.
- The Council has put up hundreds of new signs warning people that it’s a crime not to clear up after their dog
- There are almost 300 dog waste bins throughout Gwynedd
- During the last year Gwynedd Council’s Street Enforcement Team has issued 183 on-the-spot fines for dog fouling and littering offences.
- According to Keep Wales Tidy, during 2009-10, dog faeces were a problem on nearly seven per cent of Gwynedd streets. The Welsh average was 10.6%.
