Colourful campaign aims to cut dog mess... by painting it!
DOG MESS will be sprayed fluorescent pink as part of a borough council campaign to highlight the problem of dog fouling.
Environmental chiefs are about to launch a new £2,000 fight against the problem in a bid to clean up the town's streets.
With the help of cartoon characters Saxon Hound and Mucky Pup, the council plans to drive home the message that dog owners must clean up after their animals – or face a £80 fine.
The Mucky Pup – Clean It Up campaign aims to tackle dog fouling in Tamworth through raising awareness, education and targeting those dog owners who allow their pets to foul.
The campaign will also encourage members of the public to play their part in the fight against dog fouling by reporting it to the council.
The campaign will start in March and will target a number of dog fouling hotspots throughout the borough.
Each area will be targeted for three weeks.
Street wardens will visit a hotspot where they will spray every visible piece of dog waste with fluorescent pink or orange paint.
The sprayed waste will then be left for 24 hours to highlight the amount which is there and raise awareness.
The wardens will return 24 hours later and clean it up.
They will then spend a week talking to residents and visitors in the neighbourhood.
The team will aim to explain how to report dog fouling and to encourage responsible dog ownership.
Owners spotted not cleaning up after their dogs will be given a fixed penalty notice of £80.
The campaign will continue in the hotspot area for a further two weeks, during which the waste will again be sprayed to see whether there has been any reduction.
At the end of the three weeks, the wardens will then move on to another hotspot.
Spot checks and unannounced patrols will also continue after the end of the campaign in the hotspot areas.
Saxon Hound and Mucky Pup will be the faces of the campaign, featuring on signs and other material bearing the message Mucky Pup – Clean It Up.
They will also be used to promote a wide range of other dog-related messages and will feature on signs through the borough.
Councillor John Garner, cabinet member for the environment, said: "The council absolutely recognises that the vast majority of the dog owners are responsible and caring.
"However, feedback from residents has consistently raised the issue of dog fouling and the behaviour of dogs by the irresponsible minority.
"We are launching Mucky Pup – Clean It Up as a direct response to complaints from the community. Allowing dogs to foul in public and then not clean it up is unacceptable and we hope this new campaign will have a big impact and support responsible dog owners."
7 Comments
by weskiwi
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 6:19PM
“trbh28. Spot on, and anyone disagreeing with your comments obviously has a council driven agenda. One can engagee with lots of people that witness owners of dogs allowing them to defecate anywhere and walk on. They are the blatant daylight ones, then there are also those that go early or late whilst in darkness.
The council is wasting money on this campaign, and the odd 80 pound fine, as opposed the the hundreds that will never be caught is ridiculous. As per usual, council puts out a load of blather instead of just gettin on with the job of implementing the present laws.
The saying jaw jaw is better than war \war is most definately misplaced in this situation, where it is war war that is needed but we get jaw jaw instead.
Neither is it solely the lack or not of bins, because I see many times the green poo bags thrown in hedgerows etc, well within a disposable bin. Bins have been provided for years, as with green bags, notices have been in evidence for a long time as well; all to no avail. The proportion of decent dog owners are being seriously let down by the disreputable ones, with no excuses. Hit them hard instead of pussyfooting around.”
by Abominate
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 5:05AM
“@boredatmoans
Yes, but you miss the point; Network Rail removed the bins and benches alongside the footpath that runs along the south west edge of Wiggy Park adjacent to the railway line and either Tamworth Borough Council or Staffordshire County Council was paid a sum of money to replace them (even that simple fact has been disputed and the waters muddied by denials and accusations). They were not replaced and NOBODY at Tamworth Borough Council or Staffordshire County Council can or will satisfactorily explain where the money was spent.
Anybody walking from the railway arches toward Coton Green along the footpath will not find a bin; the elderly, disabled or just someone who would like to take a rest or sit and take in the scenery will not find a bench on that edge of the park; neither will they find a doggy bin.
My contention is and will remain, if you want people to remove dog waste then replace the receptacles that were there prior to the railway expansion.”
by boredatmoans
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 11:01PM
“there are still normal litter bins and dog bins and benches in Wigginton Park. I know because I've used them since the expansion of the west coast rail line”
by Abominate
Sunday, February 12 2012, 5:45AM
“@boredatmoans
This has been discussed repeatedly at our local PACT meetings and councillors admit a sum of money was paid by network rail. They make various claims as to how the money was spent, but it was certainly NOT used to replace dog bins or benches.
@trbh28
The point is that dog bins were removed by Network Rail and money paid by them to replace them. The money was not spent replacing dog bins.”
by trbh28
Saturday, February 11 2012, 7:44PM
“this is the most stupidest thing i have ever read, what a waste of money.....you have fines in place, but no 1 out there to give the fines out, the amount of people i see watchin their dog do its business and just walk off is terrible. if their are no bins to put ur poo bags in if u pick ur dogs mess up, take it home with u, thats wot i do!! but saying that i do agree there does need to be more bins placed around.”
by boredatmoans
Saturday, February 11 2012, 6:33PM
“and of course you have proof and evidence to support your cliams?”
by Abominate
Saturday, February 11 2012, 3:00PM
“Dog bins and benches were removed from Wigginton Park during the Network Rail four-tracking extravaganza. A sum of money was paid to Tamworth Borough Council to replace these amenities; where did the money go?
If you want people to remove their dog waste, provide the facilities for them to do so with the money you have already had.”