New council to carry out dog fouling blitz

Promoting Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council's Dog Fouling Campaign throughout April alongside the FIDO street cleaner are: (l-r) Councillor Jenny Palmer, Chair of Lisburn City Council's Environmental Services Committee; Lisburn City Council Dog Warden Craig Maxwell; Councillor Brian Hanvey, Chairman of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council's Environmental Services Committee; Mark Kerr from Castlereagh Borough Council and Gizmo the dog.

The targeted campaign will have increased dogwarden patrols in response to complaints and council officers are to operate a zero tolerance approach.

Anyone failing to ‘scoop the poop’ will automatically receive a £50 fixed penalty fine. The Council is relying on members of the public to report irresponsible behaviour by dog owners and dog walkers by calling 028 9250 9394.

Councillor Brian Hanvey, Chair of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s Environmental Services Committee said: “The Council is very pleased that the vast majority of dog owners and walkers in the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area are responsible and clean up after their pets . . .

“However, it is the small minority of owners and walkers who persist in letting their dogs foul in parks, on footpaths and in rural areas that the Council wish to target and fine. “ Anyone reporting an incident is asked to provide the time and location of the dog fouling, the name and address of the dog owner and their own name and address, which will be treated as confidential.

Councillor Jenny Palmer, Chair of the Lisburn City Council Environmental Services Committee added: “The two messages of this campaign are that the Council will fine those irresponsible people who fail to clean after them and the Council is encouraging those residents who see dog walkers failing to ‘scoop the poop’ to report the incident.”