New campaign urges owners to clean up after their dogs.
A new poster campaign has been launched in the Highlands to remind dog walkers that people who do not pick up after their pets have fouled will be issued a fixed penalty notice. The posters also encourage the public to work with the Council in helping to track down persistent offenders.
The new signs give members of the public information on how to quickly report dog walkers who break the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003. They are appearing at locations across the Highlands where dogs are walked regularly. If a person witnesses someone not picking up after their dog has fouled, they are urged to call the council on 01349 886606 to report it.
Chairman of the Council's TEC Services Committee, Councillor Graham Phillips took along his two Westie dogs, Tablet and Skirlie, to the launch.
He said: "When I first became a dog owner the thought of having to pick up their poo was a tad off-putting, but actually it's not bad at all. Anyway, the pleasure of their company outweighs any unpleasantness. Nobody wants to tread in other people's dog poo so it's only fair we pick up after our dogs.
"Just using the poop-scoop bags, provided free of charge, means cleaning up after them can be done quickly with no fuss. The bags even have a carry handle. These days you can use any waste bin to dispose of them, too, so I am delighted there is no need to carry filled bags for miles, looking for a red one.
The Highlands is a beautiful part of Scotland and we are asking all dog walkers to help us keep it that way."
The new "Wanted" and "Looking Out" signs stress that it is every owner's duty to clean up after their dog. The signs also highlight the antisocial problems and health hazards of dog fouling and will be appearing in areas popular with dog walkers.
The Council's Education and Enforcement Officer James Sanderson said: "The "advisory" approach with previous signs has been replaced with the tougher stance of the new "Wanted" and "Looking Out" signs. Anyone not clearing up immediately after their dogs is committing an offence under the Dog Fouling ( Scotland) Act 2003. This applies to any public open space, whether the Council owns the land or not. Areas include pavements, footpaths, roads, parks, beaches, shorelines, recreational pitches, cycle ways, communal land, back greens, stairs, closes and any open land that the public has access to.
"Dog fouling complaints are a regularly at the top of concerns listed by the public so by working with everyone to identify people and places where the offences are occurring we can target these areas more effectively. The message is quite clear; we are looking out for the health of the public by looking to catch those that offend. The vast majority of dog walkers do pick up but we will continue to enforce the law for those that do not. I urge the public to report others that do offend so that we can target those areas to deter or catch the culprits."
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.
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Cllr Graham Philips with his Westies Tablet and Skirlie join Education and Enforcement Officer James Sanderson to launch the new sign campaign
