Dog fouling pleas ‘falling on deaf ears’

Councillor Martin Farren told this week’s Inishowen Municipal District meeting that his previous pleas asking owners to pick up their dog’s waste seem to have ‘fallen on deaf ears.’

Outlining the issue in Moville, the Labour councillor said that while the ‘vast majority of people are very responsible’ and place the waste in doggy bags, the message was still not getting through to others. He told how he regularly tops up the supply of doggy bags in the town and also visits the shore walk ‘on a regular basis’ to check it for dog foul. However, he said he believed visits by the dog warden to the area needs to increase.

“At this stage, something needs to be done. It’s really frustrating when you’re on the shore walk and come across this dog foul.”

Colr Farren added how he ‘does not know’ how the issue of dog fouling can be resolved, but added: “I would appeal to people to be more responsible in cleaning up after their animals.”

Colr Nicholas Crossan told how there is an issue in Buncrana where people are disposing of household waste in public bins and ‘people who are coming with dog waste can’t get into the bins.’

He added how ‘most dog owners are responsible,’ but agreed with Colr Farren that there should be an increased presence by the dog warden.

“I think if we had the dog warden down more regularly, where people walk their dogs, it might jog their memory and it would also do no harm if a few were caught and fined. The warden could also highlight the doggy bags and hand out a few as well.”