York dog owner fined for letting pet foul in public

A DOG owner who failed to clear up after his pet has been hit with a hefty fine as York council cracks down on fouling.

In the first three months of this year, eight fixed-penalty notices were issued to dog owners who failed to pick up, and one other owner appeared in court and had to pay the £50 standard fine and £315 in costs.

City of York Council’s street environment and dog warden services have joined forces to help fight dog fouling around the city. Liz Levett, the council’s head of environmental enforcement, said: “Most dog owners are responsible and pick up after their dogs.

“However, there is still a persistent minority who behave irresponsibly and think it is okay to let their dogs foul wherever they like, even though leaving dog mess is a criminal offence.

“We are taking action in known problem areas and will look to identify other areas in York.

“Two particular areas are next-door to schools, and dog fouling does present a real risk to children’s health. Dog dirt can carry worm eggs that cause illness and even blindness if ingested, so it is important that people understand why they should pick it up.”

One of the schools, Hob Moor Primary, has already helped tackle the problem by designing posters to put up around the perimeter of the school grounds, which is a popular dog-walking area.

More than 500 leaflets have also been delivered to local residents, vets and pet shops, raising awareness of the problem and asking for help to identify and combat those responsible.

This message is being backed up with additional patrols in the area, and anyone seen leaving their dogs mess will be issued with a fixed penalty for £50.

Failure to pay can result in a magistrates’ court appearance and a possible fine of up to £1,000.

Anyone with information about dog owners failing to pick up after their pets can report them to the dog warden service on 01904 551530.




Raising awareness of dog-fouling dangers
A GROUP of youngsters helped spread the message about the risks posed by dog mess as part of an environmental education programme.

They were at Clifton Backies Nature Reserve, in York, on Saturday as part of a dog-fouling awareness day run by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Running Wild group, an education campaign for youngsters.

Dog mess can lead to health risks for children who like to play in the reserve, because the faeces can spread diseases which cause blindness in humans.

Charlotte Berry, project assistant, said the children helped set up a stall at the site to hand out free dog mess bags, leaflets and to give information about the health risks associated with dog litter. “The children were excellent and all received extremely positive feedback from members of the public,” she said.

“Dog poo is a huge problem in this area, and we hope this awareness day will have a real influence on those perpetrators who do not pick up after their animals.”