We are currently spending 6 months in temporary accommodation, in a different area of the village from our home, and I have been shocked at the state of the pavements. To be frank the area is permanently littered with dog mess.
I have lost count of the times I have had to clean the mess off shoes or even more frequently dismantle the pram to wash the wheels. Our daily walks to schools are interrupted with constant reminders for my 3 year old to avoid the dog poop. Even my daughter is disgusted by the problem and informed my mother that she has renamed Stevens Street “Dog Poop Road”.
Why does our beautiful village have such a big problem with some residents refusing to clear up after their dogs? I’ve heard of too posh to push but a significant number of our residents seem to think scooping their dogs poop is beneath them.
I realise that the majority of dog owners are responsible and wouldn’t dream of leaving their dog’s mess on the pavement but the problem we have in our village is the result of more than just a few. Last month I took my daughter to play at her friend’s new house the other side of the village. As we turned in to their road the pavement was covered in dog mess and then I noticed the residents had put notices in their gardens requesting that the culprits take their dog mess home with them. Imagine having to live with a pile of dog poop outside your house on an almost permanent basis, it is just so unacceptable.
It obviously is an issue nationally as Council’s claim it costs them £22 million per year to clean-up dog poop(Source:Encams) and MP’s in Britain get more letters complaining about dog fouling than any other issue but to be honest I’ve never come across dog fouling to such an extent.
Even our visitors notice and comment on how surprising it is given that Alderley is such a lovely area. If people cannot clean up after their dogs then in my opinion they shouldn’t be allowed to walk them on public paths. By law it is every dog owners duty to clear up after their dog. Failure to do so can lead to a fine of up to £1000 and even prosecution under The Dogs(Fouling of Land) Act 1996 but is the law ever enforced?
Whilst writing this article I thought I’d have a quick look online to see if I could find any solutions. The Isle of Man has introduced DNA testing in a bid to rid the island of dog poop. This technology enables police to match the poop to the dog and prosecute the owner. They are urging residents to report irresponsible owners so they can take action. (Source: ManchesterOnline) but is this really the best use of police resources?
During my research I learnt that there is even a National Poop Scoop Week 22nd-28th of June when local authorities up and down the country will be running campaigns to urge dog-owners everywhere to clean up after their pooches.
Possible Poop Scoop Week Events include: Mascots – Poop Scoop Week mascots can visit schools, parks and target areas Stunts – flag all the dog mess in an area to demonstrate the extend of the problem Events – such as dog walks are a good way to unite the public.
Whilst we certainly need to raise awareness of this issue in the village and encourage the small minority of irresponsible dog owners to keep our pavements and public spaces cleaner do we really need to resort to making flags?
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