Dog Fouling

From 1st February 2013 if you fail to immediately remove your dog’s faeces you will be committing an offence under The Fouling of Land by Dogs (Newtownabbey Borough Council) Order 2012 and can be issued with an £80 Fixed Penalty Notice or prosecuted. If found guilty in court you could be fined up to £1000.

Dog fouling is a complex and emotive issue. Look in any local newspaper and you will see a catalogue of complaints. Many will direct their wrath at the Council for not promptly removing the mess - rather than the root cause of the problem: irresponsible dog owners who show every contempt for their environment and neighbours. Ironically, those who profess to be offended by dog fouling are often the offenders.

Punishment

Like any crime, dog fouling is punishable. A person who fails to remove their dogs foul immediately may be given a fixed penalty notice of £80. You have the choice of paying it or going to court. If taken to court and found to be guilty of the offence you could then be subject to a maximum penalty of £1000 plus court costs.

Council Action

Newtownabbey Borough Council is forced to clean up dog waste as a necessary measure in protecting the community from the dangers of infected dog faeces. Every year Newtownabbey Borough Council spends thousands of pounds of ratepayers' money on street cleaning and enforcement action, money which could be better spent enhancing the facilities of the Borough if only dog owners could me more responsible.

Dog owners should ensure they carry a poop-scoop or a disposable plastic bag with them before leaving home with their dog.

Newtownabbey Borough Council is very aware of the problem this antisocial behaviour brings and has put in place a number of measures designed to promote a more responsible attitude towards dog ownership and apprehend and make amenable those who continually act in an irresponsible manner.

They include:

• Enforcement Officers carry out over 1000 patrols a year, these include early mornings, evening and weekend patrols when owners are most active with their dogs.
• Over 200 specialist dog waste bins in place in parks and residential areas.
• No fouling signs erected in areas receiving high levels of complaints.
• The Introduction of the Councils “Dog Watch” scheme in 2012.
• The Launch of the Councils “Mess up, Clean up or Pay up Campaign in 2012.
• Leaflets highlighting the dog fouling problem with advice on how to report offenders delivered to households in areas receiving high levels of complaints.
• The use of pavement stencils in Council Parks.

Report Dog Fouling

The problem of dog fouling will only be eradicated when every owner acts responsibly and cleans up after their pet. To help the Councils Enforcement team target their patrols effectively please report dog fouling, particularly owners who persistently do not clean up after their dogs, providing as much information on the location, dates and times of the offence as possible. Please call the council on 028 9034 0160 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm or email envhealth@newtownabbey.gov.uk