New Release
Council says no to foul play!
A campaign to combat canine foul play will
begin in Maidstone on May 24.
Maidstone Borough Council is working with its
partners, Kent Police and the Safer Maidstone Partnership to launch
the Foul Play Campaign, which aims to tackle the issue of dog
mess.
The campaign which will see a series of events
and activities over the next two-three years, has four key
messages:
- Bag it, Tie it, Bin it!
- Bagged dog waste is litter. So it can
be placed in any litter or domestic waste bin, not just the bright
red ones!
- We want to catch those who allow their
dog’s to foul, but need the help of Maidstone residents to report
them to the council so they can be dealt with.
- We want to what dog owners and non dog
owners think in our upcoming consultation on dogs and dog control
measures the council has at its disposal. Such as increasing the
fine for fouling to £85 and making it a punishable offence to allow
a dog to access a children’s play area.
Leader of the council, Cllr Chris Garland,
said: “We want to see dog owners acting responsibly and we know
that most owners in Maidstone do. However, we need help to clamp
down on the minority who ruin family walks and other activities by
their irresponsibility. We hope that this campaign will be a
real success and help tackle the issues around dog fouling.”
The campaign will launch on Monday, May 24
with a ‘Bag and Flag’ initiative where officers will be ‘flagging
and bagging’ the dog mess they find in some of the borough’s ‘hot
spots’.
The events aim to raise awareness of specific
issues and the damaging effect it has on the area. It will
also be used to allow those responsible dog owners and their
four-legged friends to join forces with the council, becoming its
eyes and ears, and identifying offenders who spoil their
neighbourhood.
Cllr Garland added: “Maidstone council has
more than 350 bins across the borough and spends about £40,000 a
year maintaining them so there really is no excuse for dog owners
not to clear up after their four-legged friends.”
“This campaign will allow us to weed out ‘the
foulers’ and bring them to justice.”
If you are caught dog fouling you will receive
an on-the-spot fine or maximum £1,000 fine through the
courts. There is also a £75 fine for not putting bagged waste
in a bin.
The council will also be working with local
vets to provide education packs on dog related issues to new dog
owners; introducing, where necessary, dog control orders to protect
specific parks and play areas by excluding or restricting access to
dogs and reviewing, redeploying and ultimately reducing the number
of specialist bins provided by encouraging dog owners to use
alternatives and to train their hounds to ‘go at home, before they
come out to play’.
The Foul Play campaign will continue
throughout the summer, along with a series of other sustained and
targeted campaigns to help educate and actively enforce those who
deface the borough.
If you see it, report it, call 01622 602202.
Date:
May 19, 2010
Ref:
KS/100509