Call for furloughed Council staff to be made dog wardens to help stop fouling

Councillors have called for increased action to tackle the issue of dog fouling locally.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Feb 2021, 09:24 BST
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A motion from Independent Councillor Paul Gallagher called for the reassignment of furloughed and casual staff to the role of dog wardens to provide a physical presence on the ground, particularly in hot spots, and to hand out poo bags and provide information leaflets.

An amendment to the motion from SDLP Councillor Steven Edwards read: ‘That Council also agrees to look at additional actions to tackle dog fouling across the district including the use of DNA testing and CCTV’.

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Chief Executive John Kelpie assured Council that they were already proactive in the fight against the dog fouling issues. “We are already putting additional resources on the ground and looking to reassign staff,” he said.

A previous episode of dog foul on the Peace Bridge.A previous episode of dog foul on the Peace Bridge.
A previous episode of dog foul on the Peace Bridge.

“Members may have seen there is a very substantial media campaign at the moment. We are very happy to take action forward and bring a further report.”

Both the motion and the amendment were carried unanimously.

By Gillian Anderson

Local Democracy Reporter

Related topics:CouncillorsPaul GallagherCouncilIndependentSDLP