The Dorset Insider is a new sporadic column dedicated to shedding light on local matters with unfiltered honesty and a critical eye. The author – a local parish councillor – will remain anonymous for the sake of candid discourse, but readers can rest assured that their identity is known and trusted by the editorial team. This anonymity allows the columnist to speak openly, challenging the status quo and addressing issues that matter most to our community.
If there’s one thing that every parish council gets complaints about – on a perennial basis – it’s dog fouling. Unlike most normal people, who show off pictures of kids and holidays, my Instagram is full of poo specimens, either sent to me or collected over the years. The problem appears to be even worse in the winter months, when irresponsible dog owners creep about ninja-style, allowing their pets to poo on pavements, in driveways … and anywhere else someone might step in it. Before you know it, the village has been carpet-bombed with mess.
What looks like early cherry blossom from a distance is actually a pink poo bag strung from a tree.
Sidenote: Why are dog poo bags only ever green or pink?
During the pandemic, 3.2 million households bought a dog. Suddenly, the combination of working from home and the opportunity to exercise encouraged people to get a canine companion. Following the pandemic, and unlike other European countries, the UK has continued to see increased numbers of pet owners. Dog numbers have increased by 13 per cent and cats by four per cent – and that’s despite a cost of living crisis.
However, with this new set of dog owners (and a few of the older ones) comes an expectation that everyone else will like their pet. I love dogs, by the way. It’s just some of their owners that drive me mad. I have people requesting dedicated places to exercise their dog, there are dogs perched on chairs in the village hall and the blind confidence that the “cute” mutt can go wherever it likes. We have signs banning dogs from the playground and football pitch so those playing don’t get covered in excrement (it’s also part of the PSPO, the Public Space Protection Order). Sadly, too many people think the rule doesn’t apply to them. I challenged a dog walker on the playground the other day and was promptly told what I could do with my PSPO.
Sadly, the rise in numbers of pet dogs hasn’t been matched by a rise in responsible ownership. Why are there three dogs in a local one bedroom flat? Why does one resident in particular think it’s her right to walk her dog wherever she likes (and no, of course she doesn’t pick up any poo)? Why do many dog owners think a local farmer’s field is there for dogs to exercise in – naturally it’s one with no public right of way?
Catch them if you can
Apart from providing more bins and trying to catch these people so they can be reported to the dog warden, it’s a constant challenge to improve things. There’s a fixed penalty notice, of course, but even with the increase in doorbell cams, these ninja dog owners manage to avoid being seen in the act. It’s almost as if some have a secret cloaking device, allowing them to exercise their dog and leave poop on the pavements. Children fall in it, pram wheels pick it up and roll into carpets, and old people slip on it.
I’m keeping an eye on Scotland at the moment, where there are moves to introduce a new law affecting dog owners. Under the new Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill, potential owners will have to think carefully about whether they’re ready for the responsibility of a dog before making the commitment. That means considering if they have enough space and can afford the costs of food, vet bills and care.
A proposal to introduce mandatory registration for dogs from unlicensed litters was suggested, but later dropped. While all that may go a long way towards managing the irresponsible owners, the more pressing issue of dog fouling is not going away anytime soon.
Some towns and villages around the world have been creative about tackling irresponsible dog owners. Spanish vigilantes in one town plagued by poop started casually chatting to culprit dog owners, working out theirs and the dog’s name. By checking the registration details at the town hall they were then able to package the poo and deliver it by courier through the owner’s letterbox, marked ‘Lost Property’.
In Italy, DNA tests have been launched that can trace the deposit back to the dog and its owner, who receives a fine of more than €1,000. That might just beat my ninja offenders. We need much stricter deterrents for dog fouling.
With unitary councils looking to generate income and devolve some powers to towns and parishes, it’s a good time to look at creative ways of tackling dog mess. Increasing fines would pay for more bin emptying – if you can catch people to fine them. Some locals are wary of reporting neighbours in case something nasty ends up being thrown at their windows.
Would re-introducing dog licences make a difference? They would increase revenue, but of course the register would need to be maintained. However, what’s actually needed is an entire culture change in behaviours and new ways of dealing with dogs and their canine owners –because what we currently have is not working.
