A Bournemouth councilor said allowing pets to foul the pavement without cleaning up after them is “a disgraceful menace to society” as the number of complaints is increasing.
This month, Bournemouth Council has received 86 complaints. This is 40 more than last month.
Street Services Manager, Stuart Best said: “There is a growing problem of dog fouling across the borough to unprecedented levels. Council resources are having to be diverted every day from routine operations to go out and clear up after irresponsible pet owners who are failing to do the right thing. It’s unpleasant, anti-social and hazardous to both cleansing staff and local residents. We would like to remind people to please use the bin.”
Councillor Michael Filer, portfolio holder for Transport and Technical Services was disappointed as well. He said: “Pet owners who do not clear up after their pets are a disgraceful menace to society. At a time when the Council is spending more than £1million as part of its Smart Streets initiative trying to keep our streets looking attractive and clean it is disappointing there are people who fail to do the decent thing and leave waste lying where children and parents with pushchairs are walking.”
In response to Cllr Filer statement, Rebecca Hussain, a dog owner, said: “People should be prepared when they go for a walk with their dog but I would not take it that far and would not call them ‘menace to society’.”
After receiving a complaint, the council tries to deal with it within 24 hours and even faster if it is near the school or playground.
There are 400 dog fouling bins in Bournemouth.
The photo by “Mike” Michael L. Baird, mike [at} mikebaird d o t com, flickr.bairdphotos.com
