Stencil crackdown on dog-fouling (From Your Local Guardian)
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Sutton Council cracking down on dog-fouling with new stencil
4:00pm Sunday 15th July 2012 in Top Stories By Alexandra Rucki
Pick up or pay up, says Sutton Council
Sutton Council is cracking down on dog fouling with a new pavement stencil ordering owners to clean-up.
The stencil was launched at the end of last month and tells dog owners to 'Pick up or pay up'.
It can be found in 39 public rights of way in six wards, while there are plans to put the stencil in another 11 wards.
The council acted after listening to neighbour's complaints, focusing on areas close to schools first.
Councillor Jill Whithead, chair of Sutton's Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee, said: "We are aware that residents consider dog fouling to be a blight on communities and we are determined to do all we can to shame dog owners who don’t pick up after their pets."
Dog owners who get caught not clearing up after their pooch face an automatic fine.
Comments(12)
beckyc77
says...
10:32am Mon 16 Jul 12
If it's not barking at 3am, or howling outside all day or every time I try to enjoy my garden in peace, it's faeces all over my pushchair wheels. I just don't understand why anyone is allowed to inflict the results of *their* pet ownership choices on anyone else.
surrey-L
says...
11:08am Mon 16 Jul 12
As a dog owner myself i am FED UP of people not picking up after their dogs!
I have 2 teacup dogs and their poos are almost invisible but yet i will ALWAYS pick it up! I am sick of people whos dogs resemble horses let them cr*p on the path/grass verge & just leave it there!
beckyc77
says...
11:56am Mon 16 Jul 12
kazza76
says...
1:56pm Mon 16 Jul 12
Michael Pantlin
says...
5:40pm Mon 16 Jul 12
kazza76 wrote:The stencil is mightier than the sword?
does anyone really think that the yobs with their staffys and mastiffs are gonna take any notice......... think not.
sfocata
says...
9:10am Tue 17 Jul 12
kazza76 wrote:You don't apply laws according to the proportion of people who are likely to obey them - you apply them for the common good. Teach by example.
does anyone really think that the yobs with their staffys and mastiffs are gonna take any notice......... think not.
Elle81
says...
10:03am Tue 17 Jul 12
I recently wrote to Sutton Council regarding the amount of fouling in Beddington Park & the surrounding roads, this was after my 1 year old daughter fell in it, & on another occassion brought me her football which was covered in it! The council contacted me by phone & told me that unless I report each piece of mess I come across how do they know it's there?! And apparently the Street Cleaners are supposed to pick up dog poo?! I asked who was doing the fining & they told me sometimes the Community Police might catch someone & fine them. If I know the dog owner I should report them or even pick up the mess myself. Basically they want me to do their job for them. If they are going to crack down on dog fouling they need to do it properly with people patroling & fining, not just a few stencils & maybe on the rare occassion issue a fine!
Michael Pantlin
says...
12:42pm Wed 18 Jul 12
TheEverardedbutt
says...
9:13am Fri 20 Jul 12
Elle81 wrote:The stencils are highly visible and make it a lot harder to claim they was unaware that that had to pick it up as "The dog went in the gutter" or "I thought that's what the little grass verge is for"
What are stencils going to do?! They have had these in Beddington Park for ages & it's still full of dogs mess!
I recently wrote to Sutton Council regarding the amount of fouling in Beddington Park & the surrounding roads, this was after my 1 year old daughter fell in it, & on another occassion brought me her football which was covered in it! The council contacted me by phone & told me that unless I report each piece of mess I come across how do they know it's there?! And apparently the Street Cleaners are supposed to pick up dog poo?! I asked who was doing the fining & they told me sometimes the Community Police might catch someone & fine them. If I know the dog owner I should report them or even pick up the mess myself. Basically they want me to do their job for them. If they are going to crack down on dog fouling they need to do it properly with people patroling & fining, not just a few stencils & maybe on the rare occassion issue a fine!
Personally I have picked up other dogs mess and given the bag to the dogs owner, if they don't take it then, I'm afraid you are likely to have it poured down your t-shirt (as I have done on more then one occasion)
emelem
says...
10:56am Sun 22 Jul 12
ly, a bit of ink on the ground isn't going to make people pick up the poo. they know the rules already and choose to ignore them, like they will these stencils. the stencils are only adding to pollution...
Dennis R
says...
5:19am Mon 23 Jul 12
GR-London says...
5:21pm Sun 15 Jul 12
Fine them huge fines and print their details in the press.