Bridgnorth residents urged to help council tackle dog mess

Bridgnorth residents are being asked to help Shropshire Council tackle the problem of dog fouling, by reporting streets or areas where dog mess is a particular problem.

The council gets very few reports of dog fouling in Bridgnorth – and regular inspections carried out by council officers don’t indicate a significant problem in the area.

But, if people report problem areas the council can organise patrols to speak to members of the public, and to issue a warning or a fine to anyone they see committing an offence.

Kate Adams, Shropshire Council’s street scene manager, said:

“We have several officers in the Bridgnorth area who are able to issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to people who don’t clear up after their dogs. These officers include Civil Enforcement Officers (traffic wardens), the dog warden and ‘plain clothed’ Shropshire Council officers.

“Patrols won’t always be visible, but we are out there and we take the issue of dog fouling very seriously.”

Mal Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for public protection, said:

“I want to say to people: don’t blame the council for dog mess, help us catch those responsible for it.
“People tell us that dog fouling is a big issue in many areas across the county, and we’re doing all we can to address the problem.
“We know that the vast majority of dog owners are responsible people, who pick up after their dog and dispose of poo bags correctly. But there are a small number of irresponsible dog owners that don’t clear up after their dogs. We will take action against such people, but we need people to help us by reporting streets where dog fouling is a problem.”

Last December Shropshire Council launched a campaign aimed at dog walkers who don’t ‘scoop the poop’.

Run in conjunction with environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, the ‘We’re watching you’ campaign aims to reduce dog fouling in key problem areas throughout Shropshire.

The launch of the ‘We’re watching you’ campaign in Broseley in December 2015.

The campaign sets its sights on irresponsible dog owners, with recent research showing that dog walkers are more responsible and pick up after their dogs when they think they are being watched.

A series of ‘We’re watching you’ signs that are visible after dark have been put up in number of dog fouling ‘hot spots’ across the county. Feedback suggests that dog fouling tends to occur at night-time and during the months with shorter days, as some dog owners feel that they can’t be seen ‘under the cover of darkness’.

To report a dog fouling problem visit the Shropshire Council website, or call 0345 678 9006.

Further information

1. A Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) is issued by an officer in respect of environmental crimes. These notices provide a quick, visible and effective way of dealing with low-level crime.

2. Dog owners are required by law to clean up after their dog; failure to do so can result in a fixed penalty notice being issued or possible prosecution.

Dog waste should be disposed of in the appropriate manner, either by using our dog or litter bins or by taking it home and disposing of it in your black refuse bin.