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
Members have considered an update on the Council's medium term financial plan and the impact of the UK and Scottish Governments’ budgets on the coming year’s funding settlement. The position is currently looking more positive than initially planned for, however more detail needs to be worked through.
In November, The Highland Council launched a public statutory consultation to seek views on the proposed introduction of a Visitor Levy scheme across the Highlands. The Council has announced an extension to this consultation period, which will now give businesses, visitors and communities until 31 March 2025, an additional seven weeks, to take part and have their say.
In the light of the financial forecast for 2025-26, Highland Council is inviting you to tell us more in the budget preparation for the coming financial year. The budget engagement builds on extensive budget participation which took place in the winter of 2023-24.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Every year Highland Council invites all tenants to have their say on the rent levels for the following year. The Council encourages everyone that lives in a council house to take this chance to have their say.
Communities and Place Committee met yesterday (Wednesday 27 November 2024) and Members agreed the Highland Local Child Poverty Action Report which includes actions for delivery in 2024/25. Reducing child poverty is a priority for the Council and its partners.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Members of the Highland Council's Community and Place Committee have given their support to an action plan focusing on the operating of public conveniences over the next 10 years. Whilst not a statutory function, the Council is the main provider of public conveniences located throughout Highland, operating 74 sites.
A report published on 27 November 2024 by LGIU (Local Government Information Unit) looks at the state of funding for councils by the Scottish Government. Confidence in the sustainability of council finances is critically low.
At today's (Wednesday 27 November 2024) Communities & Place Committee, Members agreed the most appropriate long-term strategic direction for residual waste management is to continue to utilise a merchant provider solution. Communities & Place Committee Chair, Cllr Graham MacKenzie said: "After careful consideration and analysis it has been agreed that a merchant provider solution is considered the most appropriate long term solution to our statutory waste management obligations, and that an energy-from- waste facility within the Highlands is not considered to be a suitable course of action.
