Moville Tidy Towns launches plan to tackle dog fouling

Moville, like many other towns and villages across Ireland, has experienced a surge in dog fouling in public places

Residents and visitors have identified the Moville Shore Path and Bath Green as two very problematic areas for ongoing dog fouling.

Dog fouling is an environmental issue as well as a health and safety issue, posing a risk to humans and other animals alike.

Moville Tidy Towns reviewed this feedback and decided to focus their efforts on this as part of their Leave No Trace Campaign to tackle this issue. They have liaised with Donegal County Councils' Litter Warden to try and prevent future dog fouling in Moville.

Their St Patrick’s Day float with signage and volunteers focused on this problem.

Free dog waste bags are already available at the beginning of the Shore Walk adjacent to the Children’s play park and at Lafferty's Lane courtesy of Donegal County Council. One additional issue identified by the local Litter Warden is the theft of all dog bags on a recurring basis.

A Tidy Towns spokesperson outlined how this then removes this valuable amenity for other dog walkers/owners and they would ask that everyone is respectful and only take what bags they need.

It is an offence under the Litter Pollution Act 1997 for someone to allow their dog to foul a public place. Pet owners who fail to clean up after their animals face on-the-spot fines of €150, rising to €3,000 for those convicted of not paying the original penalty. The local Litter Warden will continue to conduct patrols of the Moville area to discourage dog fouling and to enforce the law where applicable.

Moville Tidy Towns has installed new fun signage in dog fouling hotspots to help communicate the issue and, hopefully, to prevent future instances. They have also bought eco-friendly dog waste bag holders and lanyards which they will distribute for free to dog walkers/owners over the coming weeks. The holders are made from sustainable bamboo fibres and can be used with compostable dog waste bag rolls.

Their hope is that the holders will help to ensure that dog walkers/owners have a constant supply of waste bags when out on a walk to pick up after their dog and to prevent this type of littering from occurring.

If you would like to receive a free Moville Tidy Town lanyard, bag holder and roll of bags, please call into Moville Family Resource Centre and pick one up. They are located in Market Square between The Cosy Cottage & Susie’s Bar, and are open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.

Alternatively, you can meet Tidy Town volunteers any Saturday morning at 8.30am in Market Square and collect one here. They welcome any and all new volunteers if you want to get involved please do reach out on Facebook or at [email protected]

Dog walkers/owners are also reminded to follow through and ensure they place bagged dog waste into any of the public bins in the town and along the Green and Shore.

A spokesperson said: “Shockingly we pick up a lot of bagged dog waste during our weekly clean-ups and have to also remove it from trees and the River Foyle. Those who apparently hang it up to pick it up on the way back rarely do so, so it is best to tie the bag to your lead and dispose of at the end of your walk in an appropriate bin. We appreciate that there are a minimum amount of bins in these areas and we continue to flag this to Donegal County Council as can members of the public. Many of our own volunteers are dog owners and appreciate that most owners/walkers are responsible.

"We thank you for your ongoing support in tackling this issue.”