Stockport Council has been targeting irresponsible dog owners who fail to clear up after their pets by issuing fines.
Over the last two months the Council’s Dog Warden Service has issued two £50 on the spot fixed penalty fines. The first was issued on Middlewood Way, Marple and the second on Priestnall Playing Fields, Heaton Mersey.
Councillor Kevin Hogg, Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Public Realm, said: “The vast majority of dog owners in Stockport are responsible and always clear up after their pets as seen by officers involved in these patrols. However, we will continue to carry out targeted patrols acting on information from the public. Anyone witnessed allowing their dog to foul and not pick up could be liable to legal action being taken against them.”
Dog waste can be disposed of within general waste bins, designated dog bins and with household waste. Plastic bags, nappy sacks and bin liners are all readily available and suitable for picking up and disposing of dog waste appropriately.
Due to the presence of the Toxocara worm in some faeces, there is potential health issues associated with dog foul. Ingestion of foul can result in the onset of the disease Toxocariasis in humans, which young children are most susceptible to. In the worst case scenarios, this disease can result in partial or full blindness.
Residents with information about potential dog fouling offenders can contact the Council’s Dog Warden Service on 0161 474 4207 or text 07624 805 662. Requests for dog foul to be removed from the public highway can be made on 0161 217 6111 or visit www.stockport.gov.uk