Crack down on dog mess in Ross-on-Wye and Leominster

7:50am Wednesday 14th November 2012 in News By Paul Broome

Baby the dog with Herefordshire dog warden Dave Goulding, Councillor Pauline Davies, Coun Felicity Norman, Anwen Atkinson, community protection officers Craig Sandman with (front) Darrel Maund, Coun Wayne Rosser, and Coun Andrew Atkinson Buy this photo » Baby the dog with Herefordshire dog warden Dave Goulding, Councillor Pauline Davies, Coun Felicity Norman, Anwen Atkinson, community protection officers Craig Sandman with (front) Darrel Maund, Coun Wayne Rosser, and Coun Andrew Atkinson

A COMMUNITY dog warden scheme in Ross-on-Wye is proving so popular that police forces across the country might be following suit.

Dog walkers in Ross were so fed up with mess being left on paths that they joined a group reminding owners to pick up after their pets.

In the space of nine months a dozen volunteers signed up and now, more than 20 people are taking on the role in Leominster.

Those behind the scheme say they have received calls from a council in the Isle of Wight, while Greater Manchester Police and Avon and Somerset Police who also interested in the idea.

Closer to home, similar volunteers could soon be seen in Ledbury and Hereford.

“The group is essentially made up of cheesed-off dog walkers,” said Ross-based county councillor Andrew Atkinson, who set it up.

Members offer advice and give out bags to dog walkers to clean up their pets’ mess.

Herefordshire Council’s community protection team have been handing out £80 fixed penalty notice fines to persistent offenders.

“It’s not all about fines,” added Coun Atkinson.

"We are trying to take away any excuses given by those who fail to pick up after their pet."

Anyone who witnesses dog fouling can call the council's community protection team on 01432 260000.

Comments(17)

Clarkester says...
8:33am Wed 14 Nov 12

Good plan.
Now, where are the wardens at 06:00 in the morning when people are out walking their dogs?
I am regularly out at that time with my dog, and see plenty, but by no means all, of people watching their dogs poop then pretend like they haven't seen it and walk on.
Try walking along The Great Western Way, or if you want to make a stack of cash from fines, hang around in the old Whitecross School field.

Report this post »

nickt2635 says...
9:24am Wed 14 Nov 12

What amazes me is the amount of people who go to the trouble of picking their dogs poop up in their little bags only to tie the bag and then throw it into the hedgerow!!! I walk daily along Rippon Walk and Epsom Walk at Bobblestock and see so many of these bags hanging from the hedgerows like baubles on a Christmas tree, and yes, there are poop bins at the ends of these paths!!!

Report this post »

smileandnod says...
9:44am Wed 14 Nov 12

nickt2635 wrote:
What amazes me is the amount of people who go to the trouble of picking their dogs poop up in their little bags only to tie the bag and then throw it into the hedgerow!!! I walk daily along Rippon Walk and Epsom Walk at Bobblestock and see so many of these bags hanging from the hedgerows like baubles on a Christmas tree, and yes, there are poop bins at the ends of these paths!!!
I think the people who put it into bags DO put it in the bins....I have seen these hanging off trees etc too, but I have also seen why it happens. Teenagers picking them out of the bins to throw at each other. Unbelievable that you would want to put your hands in one of these bins, but there you have it! Ive seen it with my own eyes. Lovely!

Report this post »

fmrbill says...
9:58am Wed 14 Nov 12

Well I suggest we get some of these unnamed, unidentifiable, anonymous, undercover CSO's that everybody says are so good walking up there, or even better can be the first job for the new police commissioner. There u go sorted.

Report this post »

chrisd63 says...
10:54am Wed 14 Nov 12

Try walking up Hunderton Road (aka Turd Alley) in the dark,it is disgusting that dog owners allow this to happen.I would like to catch them allowing their dog to foul,scoop up ALL the mess in the street in a bucket then follow them home.and deposit it outside their gate.

Report this post »

littlewhitebull says...
1:05pm Wed 14 Nov 12

When I walk my dog and see another dog owner not picking up their dog's mess, I offer the owner a bag. I am polite and usually say something like: "You've come out without some poo bags? Have one of my bags, I've got quite a few spares." It usually works and have yet to be verbally abused!
The Welsh authority of Blaenau Gwent (Ebbw Vale, etc.) had so many complaints about dog mess that they got a private company to enforce the penalty of £75 for owners not cleaning up dog mess. According to a BBC report based on a FOI request, the firm issued 1099 fixed £75 penalties in less than a year.

Report this post »

billyb83 says...
1:23pm Wed 14 Nov 12

Why dont they try working weekends when people are more likely to be out walking dogs, They work monday to friday when most people of herefordshire are at work. Typical council all the gear no idea!!!!!

Report this post »

LouisWalsh says...
1:49pm Wed 14 Nov 12

I walk through an area of Leominster that is popular with dog walkers everyday and on the whole, the folks that I see walking their dogs do clean up after them.
I have signed up to be a Community Dog Warden - I might not nessesarily put the armband on everyday (or even at all) but I got some free bags from the council and as littlewhitebull commented earlier I carry them in my handbag (even though I don't have a dog) and would firstly give the owner the choice of picking it up.
If I saw the same owner, regularly letting their dog foul in the same place everyday, I now know I have the option to contact someone who does have the power to fine these people and they can stake the area out.
Give this scheme a break, at least someone on the council is being pro- active instead of filling their faces in the trough.

Report this post »

TwoWheelsGood says...
2:27pm Wed 14 Nov 12

A lot of the problem is with dogs out on the loose, owners nowhere to be seen.

Report this post »

bobby47 says...
3:09pm Wed 14 Nov 12

This is a good thing. I was out running on the Great Western Way a few days ago. Well, I had to run c'os the lady wanted her purse back. Anyway, I rushed into the house to escape and my shoes were covered in the stuff.
Well done the Council.

Report this post »

William Rudd says...
5:04pm Wed 14 Nov 12

The last two people to constantly let their dogs s**t down the path outside my house and not pick it up had it dumped on their doorstep.Rang their doorbell to inform them to be careful as some bstrd has let their dog s**t outside their front door and that I'm having the same problem outside my gate.

Report this post »

bobby47 says...
5:25pm Wed 14 Nov 12

Will, You are a one off. Law unto yourself. Completely brilliant. What a lad you are.

Report this post »

KNIGHTROOK says...
8:53pm Wed 14 Nov 12

Dog owners have always been and behave as a breed of their own.

The responsibility of owning a pet extends beyond just feeding it and caring for its needs.

Fouling is the by product of the digestion process and as owners responsible for feeding makes us responsible for cleaning too.

Owners should be traced and fined heavily for ignorance that can cause public health issues.

Disease can spread through fecal matter not just to other animals but to humans.

Allowing your pet to defecate in public is tantamount to abuse of your fellow man...particularly the vulnerable such as children whom can contract quite serious infections through contact with fecal matter.

Clean your act up dog owners...a compulsory national canine DNA database could be the answer owners could be traced through the poo and fined in the post.

Report this post »

richybeaver says...
10:03am Thu 15 Nov 12

How come so many dogs are being 'walked' by people who ignore the protocols about using leads.

Where is the 'enforcement'?

If anyone, from anywhere, at any time, could attempt to walk across King Georges meadows and see every dog on a lead, I will happily volunteer to jump the moon on the back of a cow.

Report this post »

mizza21 says...
10:47am Thu 15 Nov 12

Perhaps the council could launch a protracted and expensive fact finding excersize.
I for one would be happy to volunteer to find out how this issue is dealt with in Barbados, Tuscany, New Zealand etc etc.
Perhaps a suitable punishment for constant contraventions could be for council employees to defecate in the offenders garden/doorstep so as they have to clean it up just as council employees have to clean up their mess.
Or perhaps just hang them...

Report this post »

dplcv37 says...
10:48am Thu 15 Nov 12

There is no excuse for any responsible dog owner to miss whether or not their dog has stopped to do a poop because any resonsible dog owner would have their dog on a lead whilst on public footpaths. With regards to people picking it up and then throwing the bags away it is true the garage roofs around bobblestock are littered with them!!!!!

Report this post »

bobby47 says...
11:47am Thu 15 Nov 12

Mizza, don't even whisper it. This crazy bloody bunch would think it a good idea.

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree