Dog Fouling

Tootle

I have my new dog and I've been taking him for walks in the local park. This is the park where I've been running at least 3 times per week for the past 5 years. I've always known there was dog poo there but its not until I have my own dog that I realised the extent of the problem! Its everywhere! I mean every 5 meters there is excrement. Last Friday, I was in the park running with some friends when we passed a group of families with their kids, clearly after an egg hunt. About 20 minutes after that I was running passed the same spot and right on front of me I saw a couple with their 2 kids on their bikes and their dog on a lead. The dog was pulling behind and trying to do a poo. Eventually the lady looked behind and said " Oh sorry Charlie!", let him poo and continued to walk on!!

She had two small kids, there were children on an egg hunt and she was letting her dog poo in the middle of the path (right in front of me I might add). Do dog owners not know the danger dog poo poses to small children apart from the fact that it is an offence under the 1997 Litter Pollution Act - dog offences?
I now have a dog and I dont go for a walk without a bag. I pick it up and take it with me. What is the problem with others doing the same? I dont even have kids.
Is it just me? Or are some people with dogs just ignorant? I'm presuming they are just uneducated as I cant think of any reason why they would knowingly put a childs health at risk and break the law.

I'd like to know others dog owners thoughts on this.

kylith

They're just ignorant. Some people even think it's 'disgusting' to pick up after their dog (!). People are also ignorant of the health risks of dog poo.

It's revolting to see around the place and it gives all of us a bad name.

crotalus667

Tootle wrote: »

Is it just me? Or are some people with dogs just ignorant? I'm presuming they are just uneducated as I cant think of any reason why they would knowingly put a childs health at risk and break the law.

I'd like to know others dog owners thoughts on this.

most of them just dont care , i have a stash of poop bags in my coat . My aunt cought a guy that lives down the road form my grandmother letting his dog poo out side the house and she whent off on him , she was really shaking when she whent off and kept shaking for 10 mins after (her son lost some of his sight due to poo) long story short the guy whent home and got a bag to pick it up:D

PaulB91

i think it should be picked up, fortunatly my lot decide to wait until they get home after the walk to go poopies, i pick up from them twice daily, i had an incident with my mom's dogs though, a westie (Jack) and a German shep/springer (Hollie), i was home in yorkshire and taking them both for a walk, Hollie at this point didn't normally poop when out walking, but jack did, so i went out with three bags thinking that would be plenty, of course Hollie decided to go and it wasn;t that solid, i'd already used two bags for Jack so i did the best i could with the bag i had left but wasn't able to clear it all - just wondered what folk do in those circumstances when it ain't as solid as it should be?

seamus

PaulB91 wrote: »

just wondered what folk do in those circumstances when it ain't as solid as it should be?

Just do my best really. There's only so much you can collect without getting it all over the place.

The seems to be an "all or nothing" thing with most people. I.e. people either do it all the time or they don't because they think that dogs crapping outside is natural or whatever.

To be fair though, it's not always cut-and-dried. If you're walking with your dog on a lead and the dog craps, then it's a no-brainer. However, many people will allow their dogs to run off the lead - assuming the dog is still under control, but it goes off somewhere remote out of sight for 30 seconds and takes a crap, should the owner be expected to go over and check?
It can also depend on where you are - outside of the cities, a lot of public land is allowed to be used by farmers for sheep and cattle. Should owners be expected to clean up after their dogs in there too?

I would tend towards picking it up where it's going to be a "public nuisance". So if she goes on a path, a grass verge, a park or basically anywhere that people will be walking by, I'll pick it up. But if she goes in a ditch off the beaten track for example, I'd be more inclined to leave it where it is.

Tootle

Obviously you what you can to clean the mess is those situations where you are caught short.

The 1997 Litter Pollution Act with respect to dog offences can be found here; http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/act/pub/0012/sec0022.html#zza12y1997s22
so its really in relation to public places I'm talking about. If you let your dog run off the lead in a public place, you should be keeping an eye on him/her, to make sure they dont poo. I think most dog owners would have an idea obout when their dog poos. It really is your responsibility espiceally if its an area where young children play.

doggiewalker00

its one thing that really get s on my nerves:mad:
especially when yo see the owner watching and then just walk off.

People like that shouldnt be allowed to own a dog.

what I do is go up and ask politely "sorry are you not going to pick that up"
the usual response is
"oh I always do normally I just forgot my bag" :rolleyes:
offer them one of yours,and they usualy pick it up in embaressment

morganafay

I've never seen anyone picking up dog poo in my town. And alot of people walk their dogs in the children's playground, even though there is a seperate area for dogs, and dogs aren't allowed in the playground.

But people here let their dogs roam round town too. There always used to be this one Rottie puppy (almost full grown) who used to hang around the playground and was lovely, but when someone tried to pull a stick off him, he tried to bite him, like imagine if a child did that . . . and it wasn't a stray dog, he had an owner.

So mostly I either walk my dogs out of town (if there are no pavements and it's in the countryside, then I don't really see the problem) or I let them run in the fields behind my house (I really doubt the farmer/cows mind too much?). I avoid walking into town anyway because I'd have to walk past this boxer which is my dogs' enemy!

doctor evil

What gets my goat is the absent mindness of owners who just don't notice or care.

How much common land is there in Ireland?

Personally if its somewhere where someone is likely to thread then clean it up, kids don't stick to paths/verges.

If a dog poops in a field of grass destined for silage than a pregnant cow can miscarry if said contaniated silage is consumed.

Morganafay be careful letting your dogs run around in a field full of cows, especially if they have calves, they can be very nervy with their first. Cows generally 'know' their own people/dogs and strangers can get nervy reactions.

Lambretta

I think it is unbelievable that members of the Irish public think they can use common walking grounds and parks as public animal toilets.. Seapoint beach and Herbert, two lovely ammenities and well cared for by the Councils are prime exapmles.


I have a dog and he stays on a leash and I clean up his business..it is not acceptable that beacuse a dog is not on a leash that he can crap all over the place beacuse you 'cannot see him' doing it. It is not fair to kids and is harmful to both health and environment...it does not take much effort ...20 seconds to clean up..

I Met a number of American toursits talking out in Seapoint a short while back, thought the walkway was lovely by the beach but were disgusted by the dog crap every five feet...what type of City are we trying to show to Tourists..talk about Dirty Dublin..


By the way I have never seen park warden or public warden catch and serve notice on dog owners caught in the act, has anyone seen a public enforcement or prosecution?

Can you post photos of dog owners who commit offences to authorities ? I know there are about 7 owners who let their dogs crap all over Herbert park ...without reprimand

Cheers!

Ever2010

I was part of a spring clean near my house, there's an old historical site in a field with a river running through it - a lovely walk for people with or without dogs. The amount of dog poo in bags that had been dumped was unbelievable!

People were prepared to clean it up from the path but then dump it with plastic in the river. Disgraceful!

mymo

I carry bags with me at all times, sometimes when I don't even have the dogs,
and I rarely see people pick up after their dogs.
I live in a small town and we are surrounded by countryside, but a lot of dogs just roam free. I walk my dogs on and off lead and even off lead they are always in sight, they both usually poop under bushes or in inaccessible(down a steep bank etc) off the lead but if I can reach it I pick it up, I figure if I can't get to it its much of a risk to other walkers. When on the lead its easy pick it up.
It really annoys me to see the amount of dog **** on the footpaths, and I'm regularly laughed at for picking up after my dog, I don't like doing it but its my dog so my responsibility.
I just wish others would do the same, a few dog poop bins around might help(only ever saw them in Cork while visiting) and give people the right idea.

tesslab

My dog runs around the park off leash for a certain amount of time on her walks. I've never had a prob with her. The pooping position is quite obvious so there is no excuse for not picking it up or saying you didnt see the dog doing it. If the dog is off leash she is never too far away for me to see what shes doing. I have been caught short with bags before (the times she's decided to do a hat trick!!:D) but i've had no prob asking other walkers for a bag.
I also find when people you are walking with see you picking up after your dogs they are more inclined to do it too.

doggiewalker00

anyboady else find thier arent enough bins around.the park I go to doesnt even have 1 :eek:

Tootle

doggiewalker00 wrote: »

anyboady else find thier arent enough bins around.the park I go to doesnt even have 1 :eek:

Its true, there aren't enough bins, partly this is because they dont want to encourage people dumping their domestic rubbish(aparently). I have been on to my local county council about it. Hopefully we are going to get some pooper scoopers...I'm not holding my breath but I'm willing to do a local collection to get the funding if that is the only thing holding them up.