Tidy Towns cry foul on dog poop!
In a statement issued this week, the Athlone Tidy Towns has called on dog owners to be vigilant about the presence of 'dog poop' on the town's streets.
Robbie Gaynor of the Athlone Tidy Towns Committee and who is responsible for the Litter Control category in Tidy Towns, said the following: 'It’s easy to see the people of Athlone trying to dodge minefields of dog poop on the streets of Athlone on a daily basis.
'There is nothing more degrading, demoralising, and absolutely disgusting than stepping into dog poops especially in parks and neighbourhoods and this is all due to irresponsible, selfish, and discourteous dog owners. Hardly any other pets crap on streets except dogs. We don’t hear of people stepping in cat poop, rabbit poop, guinea pig poop, hamster poop, so why dog poop? The community of Athlone, especially responsible dog owners, are frustrated regarding dog fouling on the streets, in public parks and in residential areas.
Dog litter is a health hazard and ruins the environment for everybody”, said Gaynor.
He added that the Athlone Tidy Towns Committee is trying to get this message across - allowing your dog to foul in a public area and then not picking it up is simply unacceptable.
'Despite the best efforts of committee members, some irresponsible dog owners are still allowing their pets to foul our streets and public parks. Dog owners, when exercising their dogs in daylight or during the dark of night, have a civic duty to clean up the mess after their dog. Not only is dog waste a nuisance, but it also carries diseases which are harmful to adults and especially young children. Toxocariasis is a disease found in animal poop and is caused by the eggs of the roundworm toxocara. These can be passed from dogs to humans through contact with Old Animal Poops and surrounding contaminated soil. Children are particularly at risk of becoming infected when playing in open green areas where dogs have been left out to run around on. This infection can cause illness, dizziness and is known to cause partial and even full sight loss.
It is an entirely preventable health risk and is the main reason that dog owners should clean up after pets. There is no risk of catching Toxocariasis while cleaning up immediately after your dog,' said Gaynor.
Gaynor added: “Failing to clean up after your dog is the same as littering and is an offence under the Litter Pollution Act. If a dog owner does not have or does not plan to get, pooper scooper bags, then old bags, paper bags, produce bags, empty bread bags, any old bag will do! It’s not difficult, burdensome or complicated. Keep spare bags in several places: your car, your handbag or coat pocket, the press inside your hall door, and take them with you before going for the walk. Then take your dog’s loaded baggie away with you or you can place it in nearest waste bin. But please, do not leave it beside a tree or anywhere else expecting someone to pick it up and dispose of it in their recycle bin - it’s your dogs waste and you are giving responsible fellow dog owners a bad name!”
Gaynor said that under Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, a person can complain to the District Court under the litter laws against an owner or someone in charge of a dog who allows that dog to foul public places and who fails to act responsibly.
'A fine of €150 can be imposed for non-compliance. Failure to pay this fine can result in prosecution with a maximum fine of €3,000 on conviction. The bottom line is: dog owners are responsible for cleaning up their own dog mess. If you are a responsible dog owner, would you be interested in volunteering an hour or two a week to assist and help the Athlone Tidy Towns Committee in an initiative aimed at tackling the problem of dog fouling in Athlone? For example, take photos or write comments into athlonetidytowns.ie giving the location of where the offence took place and stating whether it was a male or a female dog walker. This initiative, it’s hoped, will put pressure on irresponsible dog owners to change their behaviour. It is not a name and shame campaign, but we are asking everyone in our community to play their part and influence dog owner’s behaviour,' Gaynor said.