Dog poo is the one public nuisance guaranteed to unite people in opposition and new figures show that more than 200 reports of dog fouling have been received by Cornwall Council in the last six months.
The council has published details of the number of dog fouling reports for the first half of the current financial year – 2021/22 – which show 204 incidents.
It has also provided the totals for the last four years which indicate that there have been 2,814 reports from 2017 to 2021.
Yearly totals have fluctuated with 684 in 2017/18; 746 in 2018/19; 662 the following year and then 722 in 2020/21.
Cornwall Council has also provided details of the parish areas where reports of dog mess have been made – this shows that in 2021/22 Porthleven has had the most reports with 17.
Dog poo hotspots have also been revealed in the figures for the last four years. Whilst the largest number – 496 – are listed as "blank" the next highest are as follows:
- Penzance – 140
- St Austell – 108
- Camborne – 106
- Newquay – 97
- Porthleven – 93
- St Ives – 93
- Tywardreath & Par – 92
- Bodmin – 84
- Falmouth - 75
- Truro – 61
Cornwall Council has a dog fouling Public Spaces Protection Order that covers the whole of Cornwall to ensure that all areas of the Duchy have the same levels of enforcement for dog fouling.
It covers all land (with the exception of Forestry Commission land) in the open air to which the public is entitled to access, whether by payment or not.
Dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets could be issued with a fixed penalty of £100 or prosecution where, if found guilty, could face a maximum fine of £1,000.
The council has a limited number of dog welfare and enforcement officers in Cornwall but there are other officers at the council who are able to issue fixed penalties.
On its website, the council explains:
"Many of these are not uniformed officers. This means that there is a relatively high chance that you will be caught should you not clear up after your dog has fouled.
"It is not an excuse in law that you were not aware of the fact that the fog had fouled. You can be held responsible even if you did not see the incident or if it is witnessed whilst your dog is straying."
The council says that it had an aim to investigate all complaints of dog fouling and had a primary focus on hotspots.
If you report an incident of dog fouling the council says it would be in a better position to take action if a full description is provided. This should include the date, time and location of the incident; what was witnessed; description and identity of the dog and/or its owner; name or address of the offender (if known); vehicle registration number; or any other identifying feature.
Anyone reporting an incident may be asked to provide a witness statement and if a fixed penalty is not paid it is likely that you would be asked to attend court.
As well as reporting individual incidents of dog fouling the council also welcomes reports of problem areas for dog mess. These can be reported online.
Dog owners are asked to clean up after their dogs using a small plastic bag. The council asks that the bags used are as small as possible to avoid bins being full of plastic rather than dog waste.
The council asks dog owners not to throw bagged waste into hedges but to place it in the nearest litter or dog waste bin. Anyone caught throwing bagged dog waste could face a fixed penalty of £150 or prosecution.
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