Keep your dog out of hospital grounds urges concerned councillor

Speaking after discussions with local residents, Ballycastle Councillor Dónal Cunningham has hit out at dog owners who knowingly allow their dogs to foul in the grounds of Dalriada Hospital.

The SDLP Councillor said: “There are no excuses for this; owners are clearly making a conscious decision to access the grass areas within the hospital grounds. They obviously don’t care about the health risks to the general public.

“The responsibility rests with the dog owners; they know they are breaking the law – I will be pushing for greater diligence from Council to monitor this situation and to administer the fixed penalty fines.

“I appreciate that the majority of dog walkers behave responsibly however Council’s attitude has to become one of zero tolerance. Dog walkers must get into the habit of taking dog mess bags with them every time they go to walk with their dog.

“Council officers tasked with enforcement need information from the public as to the time, date and location of dog fouling incidents a description of the dog and details of the dog owner, without this information the chances of an authorised officer catching the offender become reduced.

“The general public wants to see action and results on this issue, it is important that we work hard to improve things and enjoy safe and clean areas throughout the town.”