Caithness Map :: Links to Site Map Great value Unlimited Broadband from an award winning provider  

 

Council Reinforces the Hazards of Dog Fouling

2nd March 2009

The Highland Council is continuing its campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of dog fouling and is reminding owners that they can face a fixed penalty for not picking up their dogs mess.

Education and Enforcement Officer Peter Taylor said: "Dog fouling is both unsightly, unpleasant and a potential health hazard. Dogs commonly carry a parasite worm called Toxacara whose eggs are passed out with the faeces in to the soil. These eggs can last in the ground for up to two years, long after any outward sign of the fouling has gone, with each infected deposit containing up too two million eggs. The most common form of Toxocariasis is the covert type which has mild symptoms or may have no symptoms at all. Symptoms of this type of infection can be fever, cough, wheezing, headache and difficulty sleeping."

In the UK it is widely accepted that most parks and urban open green spaces are infected with the Toxocara worm in various stages of development and that up to 40% of the population may have been infected at some time without realising it. Although the worm cannot survive more than a few weeks in the human body before dying off, if it has got as far as the eye then an impairment of vision can occur, although this is very rare. All dog owners are advised to speak to their vet to ensure that their dog is properly wormed.

Chairman of The Highland Council's TEC Services, Councillor John Laing said: "Most dog owners do clean-up after their dogs but those who don't are having a negative affect on the standard of our public areas and are putting the health of other people at risk. I urge all dog owners to comply with the law and be responsible for clearing up after their dog. There really is no excuse not to bag and bin it and to help people the Council provides "scoop the poop" bags free of charge from our Service Points and dedicated bins in public areas."

The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 is the key legislation which empowers the Council to issue fixed penalty notices. Anyone identified as failing to clean up after their dog is liable to receive a fixed penalty of £40, which rises to £60 if the penalty is not paid within 28 days.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

7/11/2024
Council Launches New Tenant Participation And Engagement Strategy 2024-2029
The Housing and Property Committee met on Wednesday 6 November 2024 and approved the Tenant Participation & Engagement Strategy 2024-2029.  Members heard from both tenant representatives and Officers about the ongoing engagement and collaborative work within communities across Highland.  
6/11/2024
Non-domestic Rates Relief Statistics For Scotland
The Chief Statistician has released statistics on the reliefs and exemptions from non-domestic rates that were in place on 1 June 2024.   These figures were produced by independent statistical staff, free from any political influence, in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics.  
6/11/2024
Police - Area Performance Report to Caithness Area Committee on 11 November
A report by the police to the Caithness area committee on 11 November will allow councillors to discuss a range of issues.   Chief Inspector Calum Smith - Area Commander (North Highland Area Command) sets out the crime related figures up to June 2024.  
6/11/2024
Common Good Funds In Caithness Expenditure - Quarter 2 Monitoring
On 11 November 2024 the Caithness Area Committee will discuss several papers.   Thurso and Northwest Caithness Ward Discretionary Budget applications approved 1 April 2024 - 30 September 2024 The Committee is asked to note that the following Thurso and Northwest Caithness Ward Discretionary Budget applications have been approved for the period 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024:.  
6/11/2024
Report Retailers Selling Vapes To Underagers - Highland Council Trading Standards Find 1 In 3 Retailers Selling Vapes To Under 18s
Highland Council's Trading Standards team is reporting worrying findings from the age restricted product test purchase programme it carried out over the last six months.   During the most recent exercise, premises in Skye, Easter Ross, Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey were test purchased for cigarettes and vapes using volunteers under 18 years of age.  
5/11/2024
Transport In Highland - A Chance To Share Your ViewsThumbnail for article : Transport In Highland - A Chance To Share Your Views
The Highland Council is developing a new Local Transport Strategy (LTS) for the next 10-year period.  This Strategy will underpin the future direction and policy focus for transport in Highland.  
1/11/2024
Financial Forecast Reported To Highland Council
A revised financial forecast for the Highland Council, taking account of already agreed savings and other measures, suggests a remaining budget gap of £38m-£54m over the coming three years, 2025/26 to 2027/28.   As part of the Council's Medium-Term Financial Plan, agreed in February 2024, Council agreed a package of £54.6m of budget savings, and the use of a range of financial flexibilities and use of reserves, to address the projected £113m gap over a 3-year period 2024/25 - 2026/27.  
22/10/2024
Housing Summit To Address Housing Challenge In Highland
The Highland Council has called a Housing Challenge Summit, designed to bring together all parties from National and Local government.   Also private sector interests, both large and small, from across the fields of energy, housing development and commerce, to focus on the Housing Challenge in Highland.  
8/10/2024
Sudden Withdrawal Of Bus Services In Caithness
Aarons of Wick Ltd informed The Highland Council at lunchtime on Friday 4 October that with immediate effect they were unable to continue to operate any school or public service journeys which require a full-size bus.   The Council has sourced replacement services from Dunnetts Transport for the Reay - Thurso and Bower – Castletown – Thurso services.  
7/10/2024
Supporting Island Communities
New funding for critical infrastructure projects that will help boost employment, empower communities and ensure a sustainable future for Scotland's island communities has been announced by First Minister John Swinney.   Ten projects have been awarded a share of the Scottish Government's £3 million 2024/25 Islands Programme Fund.