Marple Website Community Calendar
Archive => Archived Boards => Local Issues => Topic started by: wolfman on October 31, 2008, 03:47:14 PM
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Dog owners are being warned they could face fines of £50 if they fail to clean up after their pet fouls in a public place.
Stockport Council have the power to issue fixed penalty notices to irresponsible dog owners and the local authority’s dog wardens are continuing to clamp down on offenders.
There is serious health risks associated with dog fouling. Salmonella, E.Coli and Campylobacter, the most common cause of diarrhoea in the UK, can all be caught from dog faeces.
Dog wardens now carry out patrols throughout the day, at times when pet owners are most likely to be walking their dogs. They will also be going into primary schools to speak to children about the health risks. Anyone caught failing to clear up after a dog they are walking will be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for £50. Those who fail to pay the fine will be prosecuted and could face a further fine from the Magistrates Court of up to £1,000.
Councillor Stuart Bodsworth, Executive Member for the Environment said: “The majority of dog owners in Stockport are responsible and do clean up after their pets – however there is a small number who are willing to let others deal with the mess and the health hazard left behind by their pet. The Council's dog wardens use their enforcement powers to protect the rest of us from the few irresponsible pet owners.”
The Council provides free poop bags in all libraries and information centres to make it easier for dog owners to clean up after their pets.
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it takes two seconds to clean up after your dog we use nappy sacks from asda what we could do with is more bins to put it in,you can go quite a distance from one to another
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Is it just me, or is all this fastidiousness going a bit too far nowadays? I'm not defending those who allow their dogs to foul suburban pavements or parks or (worst of all) playgrounds and sports fields, but the other day I noticed warning signs on a muddy farm track called Primrose Lane, between Mellor Cross and Castle Edge Road. The track has a generous covering of horse poo, cow poo, and (for all I know) fox poo, badger poo and many other varieties, but nevertheless there is a High Peak Council sign warning dog owners of dire consequences if they don't pick up after their pooches! Seems a bit ridiculous to me, especially if (as sometimes happens) the offending matter is then neatly packed up in a non bio-degradeable plastic bag and left by the footpath! ???
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Dave, I really dislike seeing poo bags just being left by dog owners. When I walk my dog I ALWAYS carry the poo bag with me until I can deposit it in a big. Leaving a plastic bag in a hedge or on a footpath is just littering, in my opinion, and pure laziness.
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http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/dogfouling01.htm
Dog Fouling and the Law A guide for the public
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That's an interesting link, Wolfman. The list of areas where dog faeces may not be left includes 'any public walk or pleasure ground'. Curious terminology there - the phrase 'public walk' is new to me. Presumably it means 'public footpath', but if so, why not use the normal term?
If it really means that dog owners are supppsed to pick up on any public footpath, including those which cross fields covered in horse, cow and sheep droppings, then surely the law (not for the first time) is an ass! :'(
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What really annoys me, is that we I used to live in the old bit of marple where the visitors (and their money) go, there were loads of dog bins, and many with free bags, now I live in another part of marple which is used by its residents and a handful of people who dare to use the middle wood way for fear of siking knee deep into the mud you have to walk miles and miles before you reach a propper bin. I have asked our local councillers for an answer many times, but to no avail.
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Toxocariasis!
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> Presumably it means 'public footpath', but if so, why not use the normal term?
I would imagine that it's because "public footpath" has a specific legal meaning, whereas the term used covers other things such as pavements (i.e at the side of the of the road) and paths in places such a parks which are legally not public footpaths.
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Is the canal towpath included in the regulations?.
What really gets me annoyed are the number of people who walk in front of the dog, not on a lead, especially in the Lockside area, hoping that if the dog poos they can act as if they did not know.
What are the rules about horse poo ?
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> Presumably it means 'public footpath', but if so, why not use the normal term?
I would imagine that it's because "public footpath" has a specific legal meaning, whereas the term used covers other things such as pavements (i.e at the side of the of the road) and paths in places such a parks which are legally not public footpaths.
Should have thought of that - thanks nbt!
Is the canal towpath included in the regulations?.
What are the rules about horse poo ?
Following nbt's plausible theory, a canal towpath is a 'public walk', so it's included.
As for horse poo, I don't think there are any rules, but given the obsessively fastidious health and safety culture of these times, it won't be long before we see horses wearing huge nappies! ;)
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Given thast horses are vegetarian I would be very surprised if they were subject to the samel level of regulation as dogs. As meat eaters, dog muck is far smellier than horse muck
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Prosecutions - April 2004 to March 2005
• A total of 544 prosecutions were taken and 44 prosecutions were still pending
from April 2004 to March 2005, equating to an average of 4.0 and 0.4
prosecutions per authority respectively (or 4.4 overall).
• The number of prosecutions ranged from 0 in some authorities to 114 in one
authority
Fixed penalty notices – April 2004 to March 2005
• There were 2,408 fixed penalty notices issued, of which 1,729 (72%) were paid.
• This equated to an average of 20 fixed penalty notices issued per authority.
• Figures ranged from no notices (in 21 authorities) to one authority issuing 405.
• Extrapolating this data provides an estimate that over 7,000 fixed penalty notices
were issued by local authorities in England during this time period.
Source ENCAMS http://www.encams.org/home/index.asp?nav=top
Encams runs the “keep Britain tidy campaign”
ENCAMS estimate that:-
There are 7.4 million dogs in the UK
Dogs produce 1000 tons of faeces everyday
16000 people a year get Toxocariasis which can cause blindness
754 people have been prosecuted over the last 3yrs
Councils have received 226.000 complaints.
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This is the relevant page on dog fouling from the ENCAMS website: http://www.encams.org/advice/main2.asp?pageid=40.
I can't find Wolfman's figure of 16,000 people a year. On this page it tells of 'approximately 100 cases diagnosed each year, with 50 having serious eye damage. Nearly all were children, who had contracted the disease as toddlers.'
The difference between 100 and 16,000 may be because the vast majority of cases of Toxocara Canis remain undiagnosed, as it normally has no apparent symptoms and clears itself up in time.
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well wolfman this has run a bit further than you thought it would ha ha ha
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I can't quite make up my mind whether Dave is for or against this legislation. I think if I had children I certainly wouldn't want them to catch anything whatsoever from dog faeces
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My view is that this is a classic example of the kind of issue which should not be addressed by national legislation at all, but should be left to local authorities to deal with through by-laws. This is because the circumstances vary so much between urban and rural areas.
Obviously in towns and cities, dog owners should be expected to clear up after their dogs on pavements, and in parks, playgrounds and sports fields.
But trying to impose this in rural areas, on country lanes and on muddy footpaths and bridleways, is ridiculous, a complete waste of money, and very difficult to enforce.
As far as children picking up eye infections is concerned, the link to encams (above) shows that this is confined almost entirely to toddlers (under fives), who may touch dog faeces and then put their fingers in their mouths. Hence the importance of keeping parks, playgrounds etc clean. But in the country parents need to supervise their young children much more closely - the countryside is not a safe place for unsupervised toddlers, for all sorts of reasons.
I guess it all comes down to nanny state versus parental responsibility! ::)
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I guess it all comes down to nanny state versus parental responsibility! ::)
I would agree, except that in current times a lot of people seem to have abandoned the idea of personal responsibilty in favour of assuming that as they pay taxes, someone else will do "it" - whatever "it" happens to be. I also disagree with your feeling that it's ok to leave dog muck on footpaths and bridleways. Quite apart from the possibility of disesase, it stinks and is horrible, people who have dogs should clean up after tham and people who don't should have it smeared across their face, they'd soon learn to clean up.
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Now this really is the "NANNY" state
Cat and dog owners are to be told to provide "entertainment" and "mental stimulation" for their pets under new government advice.
The code of practice also includes advice on diet and providing "somewhere suitable to go to the toilet".
It says owners should watch for signs of stress and advises on introducing cats to dogs without the fur flying.
Owners will not be fined for breaking the rules but failure to comply may be used in animal cruelty prosecutions.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it wanted to remind pet owners of their responsibilities under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act.
The 26 page document on cat welfare begins with a warning to owners: "It is your responsibility to read the complete Code of Practice to fully understand your cat's welfare needs and what the law requires you to do."
Hot car warning
The document, which will be published as a leaflet and on Defra's website after an eight week consultation period, says owners must provide their pets with a "suitable place to live" including "somewhere suitable to go to the toilet". It also advises providing a separate litter tray for each cat.
And it adds: "Cats need opportunities to climb and jump, such as a simple 'platform' type bed or safe access to shelves and the tops of cupboards.
"Cats that are not very tame, such as some farm cats, may prefer to live outdoors in more basic shelter but you still need to look after them."
The guidelines warn owners they could face prosecution for cruelty for leaving animals in hot cars.
And they give a detailed description of what constitutes normal behaviour - such as scratching and clawing - and tells owners to "watch your cat closely for signs of stress or changes in behaviour".
"Dogs should be introduced to cats very carefully; the dog should be held safely on a lead at first so that it cannot chase the cat," it adds.
On diet, it advises fresh food every day but warns "an obese cat is an unhealthy cat" adding "it is a good idea in a 'greedy' cat to have the measured food divided up into a number of meals per day".
Play advice
And it tells owners to provide suitable toys and "entertainment" for their cats.
"You should ensure that your cat has enough mental stimulation for you and from its environment to avoid boredom and frustration.
"It is your responsibility to provide opportunities for your cat to satisfy all of its behavioural needs, such as play and companionship."
But, the guide adds, cats are solitary creatures and the most common cause of stress is "coming into close contact with other cats they do not like".
Dog owners, by contrast, are given detailed instructions on ensuring their pets do not become lonely or isolated as "dogs are a social species and need the company of people, dogs or other animals".
There are similar guidelines for horse owners under the proposals, which are subject to an eight week consultation period. The proposed leaflet also includes the relevant sections of animal welfare legislation.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: "These three new codes of practice will outline the responsibilities under the Animal Welfare Act and give practical advice on how to fulfil them.
"This means no one will be able to claim ignorance as an excuse for mistreating any animal."
from BBC online.
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I also disagree with your feeling that it's ok to leave dog muck on footpaths and bridleways. Quite apart from the possibility of disesase, it stinks
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, nbt, but the countryside is full of cows, horses, sheep, rabbits, foxes, badgers etc etc, and they all poo everywhere and it stinks! Anyone who has a problem with that would be well advised to stay in the suburbs. ;)
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I'm out in the countryside every weekend (and during the week when I can mak it) thanks Dave , *nothing* smells quite as bad as dog poo, and TBH most other animals don't poo on paths