Ideas to stop dog owners leaving behind dog poo have been put forward.
After the Examiner’s story about an Emley woman using yellow spray paint to highlight piles of poo near the field where she keeps horses, readers suggested ways to help.
Last month Kirklees councillors gave the go ahead for a private enforcement company to patrol the streets and issue fines for dog fouling and littering. The fine would be £75 or a maximum of £1,000 if it goes to court. It could be 12 months before they are introduced.
We take a look at reader ideas and what other councils do.
Fine dog walkers with no dog poo bags: On our Facebook page Kia Eastburn wrote: “People should be fined if they don’t have any bags on them.”
Some councils do. Dog walkers in Boston, Lincolnshire, can now be fined £100 if they don’t carry a dog poo bag while walking their animal. We’ve asked Kirklees if their new wardens will follow suit, but they’ve not yet responded.
Shame people: Would public naming and shaming deter the few irresponsible dog owners who don’t pick up their dog’s fouling?
Dog walkers caught not picking up their pet’s poo can be issued with a fine. If they fail to pay it they can be taken to court, but it’s costly for the council to take legal action and is rarely done.
See Charlotte's spray painting poo project in Emley
Get the public to help: Should other dog owners/volunteers pick up other people’s dog poo? A link-up with the Probation Service may be beneficial.
Create dog-only parks: New York is well known for having dog parks with poop-scoops available. Would a dog park limit the problem to a specific area and mean it could be tackled easier?
Ban dogs: It would be controversial, but should dogs be banned from all areas where children play, sport takes place and from where livestock graze?
It would be difficult to enforce and would require more signs to be installed. There are already 15,000 ‘no fouling’ signs dotted around Kirklees.
More dog poo bins/free dog poo bags: On Facebook Clare Holmes says: “The only complaint I have is the council should provide a doggy bin, as there’s not one near for 0.5 miles and people chuck the plastic bags with poo on the trees!”
Kirklees doesn’t provide dog bins, but some parish councils provide dog glove dispenser and poo bags.
Council tax rebate: Liverpool’s mayor says he will offer a year’s council tax exemption to anyone who provides evidence of dog owners failing to clean up their pet’s mess. He believes a £1,000 fine will offset the cost of the council tax offer.
It would be beneficial for us taxpayers to patrol the streets with cameras in the hope of saving money, but it’s not on the agenda in Kirklees.
