Dog Fouling

Anti dog-fouling campaign

The good news is that there are an increasing number of responsible dog owners who always clear up their dog’s mess. Unfortunately however, there are also a minority that don’t and so when  walking around the roads and streets within the Peninsula it is not uncommon to find dog mess. Therefore, it is understandable that a number of Parishioners have recently complained about this situation. Leaving dog mess in a public place is not only unpleasant and antisocial, but is also a health hazard. The law recognises this, because dog owners have a legal duty to clean up every time their dog messes in a public place.

Dog fouling is universally hated, and has been a persistent issue over many years for the parish council, and for anyone else concerned with local environment. For this reason, the Parish Council has subscribed to the West Devon Council Dog Warden Scheme, and an authorised Dog Warden does regularly visit our parish with the power to issue on-the-spot fines if dog owners fail to clear up. If an offender refuses to pay they can be taken to the local Magistrates Court for the dog fouling offence and fined up to £1,000.

In addition to the ongoing Dog Warden Scheme, the Parish Council has considered what else can be done to improve the situation, and a number of actions have been shortlisted. These include a new publicity campaign (including refreshing signage around the parish) to remind dog owners to clear up, and the possibility of facilitating volunteers to highlight and monitor the incidence of illegal dog fouling.

Meanwhile, readers might like to note that West Devon Borough Council operate a “Report Dog Fouling” page on their website: https://www.westdevon.gov.uk/article/1970/Report-dog-fouling . Reported information will be passed to our local Dog Warden.