Gwynedd Council’s Street Enforcement and Tidy Towns teams have recently responded to requests from residents in Tregarth and Mynydd Llandygai for help in tackling dog owners who allow their pets to foul public areas.
Council Street Enforcement Wardens have been patrolling both villages and the Tidy Towns Officer visited Ysgol Tregarth and Ysgol Bodfeurig to discuss the problem with pupils.
Councillor Gwen Griffith, who represents the Tregarth and Llandygai ward, said: “I am very pleased that the Council’s Wardens are focussing on our community. The Tidy Towns school visits have also helped, with the children keen to do something to help, and so they’re busily creating colourful posters to inform dog owners of their responsibilities. There is really no excuse: it’s simple, just ‘bag it and bin it!”
Councillor John Wynn Jones, Gwynedd Council’s Environment Cabinet Member, added: “It is very rewarding to see communities, such as Tregarth and Mynydd Llandygai, who take great pride in their local environment, getting involved and raising awareness about dog fouling. There is no excuse for failing to clean-up after a dog.”
Gwynedd Council’s Tidy Towns Officer Jonathan Gwyn Neale noted: “I found the children at both schools very well-informed about the problem and were really enthusiastic and keen to help – they are, after all, the most vulnerable in our community to this problem. It’s such a shame that a minority of dog owners don’t seem to realise how their actions can affect others.”
Dog Fouling and ‘Toxocariasis’
One of the most important reasons why owners should stop their dogs from fouling on public land is due to the parasites which can be harmful to people, especially children. Toxocariasis is a disease caused when the eggs of toxocara worms are transferred from dogs to people through infected dog mess or soil and can lead to illness and even blindness.
It is a criminal offence not to clear up if a dog under your control has fouled in any public place. Offenders are liable to receive a £100 fixed penalty. Failure to pay the fine could lead to a court summons and a fine of up to £1,000.
What can you do?
If you’re a dog owner make sure you always carry plenty of poop-scoop bags with you when you walk your dog. Bagged dog mess can be put in any public bin or taken home and disposed of responsibly. To request a free dog-poop bag dispenser, contact Gwynedd Council’s Tidy Towns Officer on 01766 771000 or e-mail tidytowns@gwynedd.gov.uk
Name and Shame
The public can help by reporting those responsible by contacting Gwynedd Council’s Street Enforcement Team confidentially on 01766 771000, or by visiting www.gwynedd.gov.uk/reportaproblem
Gwynedd’s Tidy Towns initiative is sponsored by the Welsh Government.
