ABC Council has reiterated the need for communities across the borough to support its ongoing efforts to tackle the scourge of dog fouling and take action against irresponsible owners who do not clean up after their dogs.
Dog mess is the one public nuisance guaranteed to unite people in opposition. However, this type of environmental crime is notoriously difficult to detect and requires a joint approach with the public playing their part in helping the council to eradicate it.
Latest figures show that the council issued 92 Fixed Penalty Notices for dog fouling in 2021/22 – a marked increase on the same reporting period for 2020/21. Over two-thirds of these were handed out during routine patrols, while the remainder resulted from intelligence gathering after receiving complaints from members of the public.
Speaking about the emotive subject, a council spokesperson said, “Dog mess continues to blight our borough despite our best efforts to stamp it out. We provide dog waste bins, erect signage, use targeted stenciling in hotspots, undertake patrols, issue Fixed Penalty Notices, prosecute offenders and follow up complaints.
Whilst we have Environmental Enforcement teams on the ground seven days a week, they cannot be everywhere all the time and even on targeted patrols, to see an offence is rare. We still rely on the public to help us identify dog fouling hotspots and offenders. We will investigate all complaints so long as enough information is provided.”
If you report an incident of dog fouling, the council will be in a better position to take action if a full description is provided. This should include the date, time and location of the incident; what was witnessed; description and identity of the dog and/or its owner; name or address of the offender (if known); vehicle registration number; or any other identifying feature.
Contact the Environmental Health Department on 0300 0300 900 to report dog fouling complaints.
