Bark as bad as the bite

Over the past twelve months Liverpool City Council’s cleansing partners Kingdom have issued 78 Dog Fouling fixed penalty notices across the city.

A Fixed Penalty Notice for dog fouling is £80 and Kingdoms cleansing enforcement officers are covering the city’s hotspots. For dog owners looking to avoid these costly fines, carrying a doggie bag with you is a must, as is keeping control of your dog so you can check in case they make a mess.

Offenders are issued these fines when enforcement officers see the dog fouling and their owner actively walking away. It is the responsibility of the dog owner, or the person in charge of the dog, to clear up any ‘mess’ left by their dog. The regulations state that being unaware that the dog has fouled, or not having a suitable means of removing it, is not a reasonable excuse for failing to clean up after a dog.

Fines can also be issued if owners pick up their dog’s business with a bag, but leave the bag on a tree, fence or in a public place. Doggie bags must be placed in a bin or taken home with you to dispose of.

It’s important to keep parks and public places free from doggie doodoo because it’s non-biodegradable and has lots of very harmful bacteria. It has been estimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million coliform bacteria, which causes cramps, diarrhoea, intestinal illness, and serious kidney disorders in humans.

Cabinet Member for Streetscene, Transport and Highways and Air Quality, Councillor James Noakes said;

“For dog owners who fail to remove their dogs mess, the Kingdom officers will be around parks and other hot spot areas issuing fixed penalty notices. If you’d rather not receive an £80 charge, please pick up after your pet and keep our city clean.

“Residents across Liverpool complain about irresponsible dog owners allowing their pets to foul the city, so changing the behaviour of dog owners is essential to ensuring our parks and open spaces are safe and clean for everybody to use.”

Liverpool Waterfront