Call for dog walkers to be responsible after fouling reported in Ballyrobert

The move comes after an appeal was issued on social media by Ballyrobert Village Committee this morning (Monday) following recent dog fouling.

In a statement issued to the Times, a council spokesperson said: “The council has received four reports of dog fouling in the Ballyrobert area this year.

“Enforcement Officers carry out a schedule of patrols across the borough and patrols of the Ballyrobert area take place at least five times each week.

“No fixed penalty notices have been issued for dog fouling offences in the Ballyrobert area this year. While officers appreciate that the vast majority of dog owners are responsible, we would remind all dog walkers to be mindful, clean up after their pets and ensure that dogs are not allowed to stray from their property unaccompanied.”

The spokesperson for the local authority added: “Where residents identify hotspot fouling areas we will target additional patrols accordingly.

“Anyone who witnesses a dog fouling offence is urged to report this to the council, providing as much information as possible, such as the date, time, location, breed, colour and size of the dog and whether it was straying or being walked by someone.

“This information will allow officers to target their patrols effectively. Dog owners identified failing to clean up after their dog will be issued with a fixed penalty notice (£80) or may receive a fine of up to £1,000 if prosecuted.

“Offenders can be reported by calling Environmental Health on 028 9034 0160 or via the council’s website.”

--

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you.