Council joins national body to raise issue of dog fouling on sports fields

Monmouthshire County Council has embraced a national campaign to encourage people to pick up after their dogs.

Council staff met with Keep Wales Tidy Project Officer, Tom Ward-Jackson at Abergavenny’s Bailey Park early in the morning of Wednesday 10th October to hand out poo bags to dog owners and encourage them to use them at all times.  Dog fouling is a particular problem on sports fields where it presents a serious health risk to users.

The occasion coincided with the Keep Wales Tidy National Enforcement Day of Action which aims to highlight the good work done to tackle local environmental issues and raise awareness that it’s a crime to litter and fail to pick up dog fouling.

Tom Ward-Jackson said: “It was great to meet lots of dog owners on the day who were very supportive of the message that allowing your dog to foul in public places just isn’t acceptable.  We need these initiatives to spread the word to the few that risk spoiling our green spaces for the rest of the community.”

The council’s action builds on the work of the Give Dog Fouling the Red Card initiative – a partnership between the county council’s environmental health, waste and street cleaning teams as well as a number of town and community councils and the police. The campaign runs events in the county to encourage all dog owners to clean up after their pets, one of the issues most frequently raised by residents.

County Councillor Sara Jones, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member with responsibility for public protection said: “I’m pleased that we’re working in partnership with Keep Wales Tidy today.  Our message is very clear - do not allow your dog to foul on sports pitches, or elsewhere. It’s still a real problem.”