ADVICE on responsible dog ownership was available in the town centre on Saturday 16th February when the area board launched its dog fouling awareness campaign.
The awareness campaign, which is funded by the Westbury Area Board and backed by Westbury Town Council, aims to tackle the perennial problem of dog fouling. New posters with the caption ‘Don’t give your dog a bad name – pick up after them’ will be on every litter bin to prick the conscience of dog owners and remind them that dog waste should always be bagged and binned.
Westbury Area Board chair, cllr Mike Cuthbert Murray said, “We know the vast majority of dog owners act responsibly but there are still irresponsible owners who give the rest a bad name. This campaign will be all about working together to keep our community clean.”
Cllr Murray was joined by Westbury Mayor, cllr Sue Ezra and Wiltshire Council cabinet member, cllr Keith Humphries for the campaign launch. Micro chipping was also carried out by the dog warden.
The government recently announced that micro chipping will be mandatory from April 2016. Every dog in the UK will be entered on a database similar to car registration and there will be a £500 fine issued to any owner failing to chip their dog.
Complaints about dog fouling are a regular occurrence not only in the Westbury area, but also across the country. According to Keep Britain Tidy the UK dog population in 2010 was estimated to be eight million, with dogs producing approximately 1,000 tonnes of excrement each day, with the highest level of dog fouling found in areas where people actually live.
Dog owners must, by law, pick up any mess made by their pets in public places such as roads, footpaths, school playing fields, sports fields and parks. Wiltshire Council enforcement officers can issue on-the-spot fixed penalty notices and refer offenders for prosecution.
If people spot someone not clearing up after their dog they can report incidents by ringing 0300 456 0100 or via the Wiltshire Council website at http://www.wiltshire.gov. uk/parkingtransportandstreets/streetcarecleaning.htm
Free dog waste bags are available at the Westbury Town Council offices and the heritage centre. Bags can be disposed of in standard litter bins (it does not need to be a special dog waste bin).
Pictured above: launching the campaign with Harry, the dog featured on the poster.
Pictured left: Bailey the American bulldog after his micro chipping with Wiltshire Council dog warden Sebastian Williams
