Several members have contacted us in response to our previous post “Sutton, Its Time to Talk About Dog Poo, Again!”. It is certainly a hot topic in the community. One member reports being shocked about the number of unpicked poos on local footpaths (as opposed to pavements), making several cogent observations.
“Dog poo left anywhere (unless really well ‘off-piste’) is a health and safety hazard …
When fresh it’s a slip hazard.
Although not a trip hazard as such, it is a stumble hazard.
Slips and stumbles can result in falls which might break bones and/or cause severe bruising, knock confidence etc. It should be remembered that not everyone is sighted or has the perception to see what lies ahead; not everyone is steady on their feet; not everyone is able to walk in single file
It may contain many types of parasites, viruses and bacteria that can then be passed on to both other dogs (especially dogs that have coprophagia) and humans (isn’t this why childrens’ playgrounds are fenced off and dogs not allowed?).
There’s also the neighbourly / community-spirit angle.
And finally there’s the legal aspect.
Surely there can’t be many, if any, dog owners that are not aware of all the above?
I can think of no reasons to not pick up your dog’s poo, no matter where it falls. It’s a signifier of responsible dog ownership, and indicates care and respect for the community and society generally.”
Well, we have to agree with our member and endorse similar sentiments expressed by other members.
We do think there is a need to identify those areas of Sutton that are most prone to fouling. To identify those hot spots and relay that information to Bassetlaw District Council Environmental Health Department (BDC) for targeted action. BDC’s contractors (WISE, Waste Investigations Support & Enforcement) are authorised to issue fixed penalty notices to offenders so let us make sure they are visiting the likely spots.
Not wishing to be too graphic but we rather favour the expression “Hot Squats” over hot spots and have prepared a plan view of Sutton for the website (also available from the menu above) that we can use to identify those particular areas. So please let us know what you find and where you find it, perhaps with a photo.
In researching what other District/Borough Councils are doing to combat dog fouling we have come across a Green Dog Walkers Scheme. Essentially dog owners commit to a pledge, the Green Dog Walkers Pledge. It is all about encouraging responsible dog ownership by signing up to a community based campaign to change attitudes about dog fouling. If you sign up you get a collar to wear, worn by the dog not the owner. The pledge is shown below. We will be contacting BDC to see if they are signatories and if not why not?
