Time to call foul on dogs

TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington want residents to spy on irresponsible dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets.
A minority of people still let their dogs leave a mess in parks or in the street despite repeated campaigns to highlight the dangers of dog fouling.
So now the borough council, in conjunction with Frontis Housing Association, Birchwood Town Council and the Stronger Together neighbourhood initiative, is asking for residents to be on the look out for the culprits.
Paula Darlington, the council’s assistant director of environment and public protection services, said: “The vast majority of dog owners are responsible people but we do have a minority of persistent offenders and it is these people we are trying to target.
“We can issue fines to people who don’t pick up after their dog, but only if we catch them in the act. That’s why we’re asking people, if they see this happening, to contact us with a few details so we can send someone to the area to issue a warning or fixed penalty.”
Details needed are:
*times when the owner walks their dog
*location where the fouling has occurred
*description of the dog and owner
*registration of car, if known.
Coun Mike Biggin, (pictured right) the council’s executive member for environment and transport, said: “There are two main issues contributing to this problem. One is people who don’t pick up after their dogs at all. The other is people who do, but then leave bags of dog waste on the street, in the park, or even hang it from walls and trees.”
It is thought that many residents are not aware that any litter bin can be used to dispose of dog waste.
On September 20, Keep Britain Tidy launches a new campaign with the message that “any litter bin will do.”
An event to launch the new campaign locally will be held in Birchwood Shopping Centre on Friday September 17, from 11am till 4pm.