There has been a recent spate of letters in the media on this subject and I wondered whether there is a solution to this problem? I always carry a black plastic bag and pick up my dog's mess as I am sure do the majority of forum readers but there remains a large number who choose not to do so and bring shame on responsible dog owners. For example in my area owners walk their dogs on open private land with public rights of way and ignore the signs encouraging individuals to pick up their dog mess. The area has become a minefield and to be fair the Parish Council it has taken the initiative by erecting signs, providing bins and getting the local primary school children to design posters encouraging all to be responsible citizens - all to no avail. Recently, a member of the Council has taken to spraying dog mess in open areas with a brightly coloured paint spray. Unfortunately, other than drawing people's attention and irritating responsible owners, it has done little to resolve the problem which will remain until a law is introduced (like seat belts in cars) which identifies the culprits and punish them. IMHO,the only way to eliminate the problem would be to include the subject in our schools calling it something like Good Citizenship and bring back the licence for all domestic pets requiring them to be electronically chipped and DNA tested. The costs of such action would be huge and is probably the reason why nothing has been done and concede that I maybe living in cloud cuckoo land? Anyone else with better ideas?
Dog mess is a huge problem here, and culturally, people do not pick up. They look at me like I'm weird if I pick up from the pavement, let alone if I should do it in the countryside! There does seem to be a little change afoot, though, as a couple of years ago, a dog poo bin and bag dispenser arrived in the village. In the most impractical spot imaginable, and was never refilled with bags after the first lot ran out. So, effectively pointless. In the last couple of weeks, a new sign has been erected, saying there is a fine of between €60 and €300 for dog fouling. All well and good, but who is going to police it?! There is never anyone around to see it happening and, without CCTV on every corner, I don't see how it could be policed. I have no answers other than education.
I think we should pay google earth to publish pictures of dogs pooping and owners walking on...name and shame. it's the only way. If people thought that they were being watched, they'd pick up.
It's a problem in our village too but mainly amongst dare I say it, the older generation that think they don't have to clean up after their dogs because they never have. I have been meeting with the Council and the Dog Warden to pilate a new scheme which has been successful in large towns and we are the first village to take part. The Dog Warden has been into the village Primary School with his own dog and educated the children about how anti social not cleaning up after a dog is, also the serious health issues. We have organised a poster competition for the children to be judged at the Flower shown by the Dog Warden who is attending and setting up a stall where he can educate dog owners, even though they know what they are doing is wrong. We have lots of bins but people still don't clean up from the pavements and on private land with right of way walks, it's so awful and these irresponsible dog owners give us responsible owners a bad name not to mention making walks pretty unpleasant. I walk with locals and they find it quite amusing that I pick up my dogs mess from tracks etc. I have watched people allow their dogs to foul even on the park area where the School children play, they think they are are not going to clean up until I hand them a poo bag. Other than shaming people if you catch them, I don't know what else can be done. As I understand, it is the law to clean up after your dog and carries a fine if the offender is caught not doing so. If you know who and see an offender you can contact your local Dog Warden and they will talk to the owner. Like Fiona said education is the only way but the long way.
I don't even think education would stop some of them. The back of my house is a public footpath and fields behind. The council cut the grass on this path. In the winter I counted 8 poos behind my fence. 8 it's only 60 ft. They're is a bin 100 ft down the path and another in the playpark next to my garden. So no excuse they need to carry it. I've hung a plastic tub on my fence and labeled it dog poo. It is getting used. Sometime between last night and this afternoon somebody let their dog poo right beside my gate. The poo tub is 5 ft away. That's not lack of education, that's just downright lazy. Rant over.
Sadly I have to agree that Education is not the key to the problem. Surely people do not need educating that if you are responsible for a mess, you clear it up. Grovelling around a warm poo with a plastic bag is neither dignified or nice, but it is a matter of personal integrity that I do. Hope I don't sound pompous. Some of the old country people say that if it is "in the green" (meaning is grass or the hedgerow) it is permissible to leave it. The rationale behind that is that loads of other wild creatures will be pooping and peeing all over the place. However, leaving it "in the green" is laying a trap for some unsuspecting person.
I don't think it's about education, I think social pressure makes most people pick up poo - which is why they don't if they are alone. There is a moderate dog mess problem in London. I sometimes but not all that often see dog mess on the pavements. I reckon 100% of dog walkers in London know they are obliged to pick up poo. There are signs everywhere. The problem with dog mess is in areas where people can't be seen not picking it up - so in the woods at the park and Common. Roving CCTV camera with big signs saying "we are watching you" would do it. I honestly believe that if people thought they might be observed, they would pick up.
I guess I meant education in a broader sense than simply knowing that you should pick it up. When you do start doing it, you realise that it's really not a big deal. I actually take pride in carrying that little black bag around. If people see me, they know I've been responsible (even if they still think I'm mad). Most of my friends with dogs will leave a poo that's not on a path - and many will just flick it off the path with a stick! When I'm out with them, I will pick up after their dogs as well as mine. Quietly, without becoming militant about it - if they say they don't bother, I just say I don't mind doing it and it's no effort. I hope that that one day this might rub off on them. If not, hey, all the time I'm with them, there are fewer deposits being left for someone to walk in.
Isn't it just so annoying when you do it yourself and others don't?Its not bad round our compound,but I'll always see a couple of deposits that have been left on a walk about. Great job Helen,good on you making the effort to make a difference x
If we think it is bad in UK try France they are light years behind us! I cannot speak for the cities but in the countryside no one gives a toot! In my village dog owners go out about 3-4 times a day and as soon as the dog poops, sometimes less than 50 metres they head for home!
I think you are very good collecting your friend's dog's poo, Fiona. Hopefully, when she sees you grovelling around picking up after her dog it will occur to her how anti social it is to leave dogs mess for other people to deal with. Another eternal optomist
This is one of my pet hates! I have only ever left one poo that I couldn't get to as Harley decided to poop in stingers and I wasn't putting my hand in there. Most places I walk have lots of poo bins, but the amount of people that keep walking and not picking up is annoying! I have offered bags to quite a few, some say thanks and go back to pick it up, some give me either a filthy look and carry on, or get verbally abusive. Our local parish councils have set up schemes that residents can sign up to, they wear an armband and get free poo bags to hand out with leaflets that explains the health implications as well it not being nice. There are over 40 people signed up in my local parish, but it's still a big problem
I tell people if they don't pick up. I pretend that I think they weren't aware of their dog pooing: "Oh! your dog has just pooed over there". I have a person from work that I have dog walked with a couple of times and she won't pick up if it's not actually on the path (so I don't want to walk with her much). As I was hobbling with my broken ankle last week I stood in dog poo and it was really difficult balancing to scrape it off. It was next to a path and within 20 feet of the bin (with free bags). Not only does Chepi still occasionally like to scoff the stuff but also other litter that people leave behind, like pieces of bread - presumably left for the wildlife. I know I have to teach her to leave but the stuff shouldn't be there in the first place. Dog walkers should be deputised poo wardens and wear a special badge to fine people. I expect the moderators would don caps again.
its not just a lab problem and i don even own a lab, i have a staff its just trying to find somewhere to express my thoughts on the subject is irriyating to say the least. my idea is along the DNA testing lines which i know is expensive but if a database could be subsidised by the government to strat then it could work. when having your dog microchipped then they could be DNA tested and logged then. dog wardens even have a "poo patrol" too pick up and take a photo (geotaged) and sample for testing. I KNOW it costs but the database ,once built while point out the lazy owner and then hit them with the now threateded 1000 pound fine and the costs can be recouped from that. No court battles onles the looser wants to pay those costs too , just straight grand fine. a couple of reports of people actually having that type of cash taken off then will soon put a stop to it. lowincome ownsers can have it removed in unstallemebts but EVERYONE PAYS. NO MORE MESS and local coucils will save a fortune on cleaning streets. Pride in the local area will increase by residents , things improve expedencially. would like to kmow what people think but no idea about who to shout at. PLEASE HELP ME
The local council that governs the area I live in is thinking of introducing a $500 AUD fine if you do not pickup your dogs poo, and a $200 AUD fine if you do not have any bag(s) with you in order to pickup any future poo that hasn't come out yet! http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/...l/news-story/3ef837c97b620787388314737514af07
Hmmm - these two statements are somewhat exclusive. We can be fined for not clearing up if our dogs even wee on walls, lampposts, cars and the like. The stricter fines that were recently introduced have stopped some people letting their dogs roam free in the village. Not all, but some.
Our dog wardens have gone mental I had to report 2 a week ago for harassing an older lady and I was followed last night by a dog poo fiend. He watch me so I stood to and watched him. Rory had done his big pm poo about 20 mins before on a different park. They are as usual upsetting the ones who pick up not catching the offenders. The way I see it they don't want to. if the try to challenge the offenders round here they will get to to F**k off and punched so they harasse the harmless looking people. I don't like being watched followed or stared a by men don't know.
