52 dog owners fall foul of crackdown

WEEKEND patrols to catch dog fouling are continuing across the borough.

Oldham Council’s campaign of education and enforcement to tackle the blight aims to get across to dog owners that fouling is anti-social behaviour and causes a serious health hazard.

To bolster awareness, the council recently joined forces with Keep Britain Tidy — and partners including the Oldham Roughyeds — to carry out a four-week campaign of public information activities.

Environmental Action Unit officers have also been carrying out enforcement, with plainclothes patrols issuing fines outside normal working hours to irresponsible dog owners.

To date 52 penalty notices have been issued and the weekend patrols will continue for the remainder of 2010.

Residents have also been consulted on possible changes to Dog Control Orders, with the results to go before the council in early 2011.

The consultation included extending Dog Exclusion Orders to include children’s play areas, and Dogs on Leads Orders to seven urban parks; plus introducing a new order so that an individual may not take more than four dogs into certain parks at any one time.

Councillor Rod Blyth, cabinet member for community safety and public protection, said: “Everyone has a right to live in a clean and safe environment and dog fouling is not just a blight on communities, it is also potentially dangerous.

“A recent Keep Britain Tidy survey found that four out of five respondents were unaware that dog mess can be thrown in any general litter bin.

“We continue to work hard to try and raise local awareness of this message whilealso punishing the minority of pet owners who continue to act irresponsibly.”

A phased updating of bins is also currently ongoing across the borough, with special dog waste bins being removed from several parks and open spaces.

Dog waste can now be placed in the remaining public litter bins at these sites, which are regularly emptied.