I have just returned from my native land - Cornwall. As you will be aware, this is a very rural area. On each occasion,on which I went out for a walk, I found myself dodging piles of horse dung. As soon as you stray from the beaten path, you are instantly dodging rabbit, sheep and other deposits.
That said, dog fouling is still a major concern in this quiet and charming part of Britain.
Restormel council has gone as far as drawing attention to "removal of canine faeces byelaws". They even show you how to scoop the poop into a receptacle. What could be more helpful?
There is a clear reason for this. Things in the Borough of Restormel have got completely out of hand. On 12 January of this year, the St Columb Major Town Council met to discuss issues of importance. Item 19 in the minutes records as follows:
"Cllr. Claton reported Saturday’s football match was
cancelled because of dog faeces on the pitch. Cllr. Crewes to review the CCTV".
Thank goodness modern technology is available to enable local authorities to deal with serious crime. The full minutes can be seen here (and a right rip-snorting read they are too!).
I also found this sign in my village. It caused me considerable concern. I can understand a clearing up rule but how can a dog be prevented from fouling? This also appears to make no allowance for the sudden onset of diarrhoea! Cornwall council takes a totally hard line on this, which it describes as "zero tolerance". On its website, it makes the following observation:
"The Act stipulates that 'being unaware of the defecation (whether by reason of not being in the vicinity or otherwise), or not having a device or other suitable means of removing the faeces shall not be a reasonable excuse for failing to remove the faeces'."
Therefore, if your dog has an upset stomach, hide your face from the cameras and be prepared to run!
Cornwall, Land of tin, Land of Piskies, Land of heaving streets and parks. May it flow from the Tamar to Lands End!
1 comments :
Welcome back Peter - your dog fouling fact finding visits around the UK are paying dividends in helping more of us understand the extent of the problem :-)
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