Call for action on dog fouling in Brighton and Hove

11:40am Friday 2nd November 2012 in News By Bill Gardner

One person has received a fine despite hundreds of complaints about dog fouling in Brighton and Hove One person has received a fine despite hundreds of complaints about dog fouling in Brighton and Hove

Only one pet owner has been punished for dog fouling in the past year despite hundreds of complaints from disgusted residents.

Less than 1% of complaints received about dog fouling in 2012 resulted in a penalty notice being issued, according to figures released by Brighton and Hove City Council.

Community leaders said the figures showed a lack of willingness from the local authority to tackle the problem.

Bill Cowell from the East Brunswick Residents Association called for “undercover dog wardens” to watch out for anti-social pet owners.

He said: “We have constant problems with dog mess because the law simply isn’t enforced.

“The council’s excuse is that they’d rather educate people than prosecute them, and that clearly isn’t working.”

Mr Cowell said a community garden in Waterloo Street had been plagued with dog mess since it was opened.

Maximum fine

He said: “These people are very crafty and if someone appears looking like a dog warden they will clear it up. That’s why we need undercover wardens to catch these people.”

Dog fouling is prohibited in all public areas in Brighton and Hove, including parks, roads and beaches.

Any owner caught not picking up after their dog mess could face a maximum fine of up to £1,000. But despite the council receiving 307 complaints between January and September this year, only one owner was prosecuted after being caught in Goldsmid Road, Hove, in July.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Enforcement of Dog Control Orders can be challenging, as it requires officers to witness the offence and to obtain the name and address of the person in charge of the dog.

“Successful enforcement of the rules relies on officers being in the right place at the right time and offenders co-operating with officers.

“What is common is that when officers are patrolling an area people will pick up after their dog. It is often the case that people flout the rules when nobody is looking.”

To report dog fouling contact Brighton and Hove City Council's Environmental Health department.

How would you tackle dog fouling? Comment below or write to letters@theargus.co.uk.

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Comments(24)

sosparty says...
12:02pm Fri 2 Nov 12

This is the perfect opportunity to have C.O.P's on the street. With volunteers patrolling the streets (Citizen's on Patrol), the problem of dog fouling, (and other serious crimes like assault), can be solved. With people with vesting interests in their neighbourhood, being the ears and the eyes on the ground, perpetrators of crime and other misdemeanours, will think better of doing it.
If you like this comment please check out my PCC campaign at sosparty.co.uk.
With under 2 weeks to vote, its time to get informed.

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banargustrolls says...
12:11pm Fri 2 Nov 12

This really needs to be tackled - dog mess is everywhere you tread in Brighton nowadays.. disgusting.

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Crystal Ball says...
12:22pm Fri 2 Nov 12

Someone really needs to get their $£@# together...

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Somethingsarejustwrong says...
12:26pm Fri 2 Nov 12

if i was a betting man, I'd wager that the majority of the offenders are currently claiming benefits and paying back the very people who make that possible by ignoring the mess they create.

If local politicians had any sense they would employ a dozen additional people and catch and prosecute dozens, if not hundreds of these people. The penalties levied should consistently be at the very top of the maximum penalty range and where not settled the dogs should be seized and the offender banned from ever having a dog again.

Its really simple to address; lets crack on!

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HOVEPARKPRESIDENT. says...
12:35pm Fri 2 Nov 12

And in comparison I wonder how many parking tickets hsve been issued.

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KarenT says...
1:37pm Fri 2 Nov 12

So hard to police without spending lots of £'s getting wardens out there just stood around and watching all the time. The wardens probably need to be undercover! Even so, I think many people who allow their dogs to foul won't even do it if anyone at all is around - I'll bet most of the time people who do this are thinking, "No one saw this, I'll just leave it." I live in central Hove and walk my dog all time so I'm out and about where other dog walkers are, and although I encounter loads of dog poo I have only ever ONCE in about ten years actually witnessed someone doing this, and rightfully so about a half dozen other dog walkers starting yelling at the guy and he then picked it up! These people are cagey, and just plain lazy and selfish.

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HJarrs says...
2:23pm Fri 2 Nov 12

307 complaints do not mean 307 irresponsible dog owners. Many of the complaints will be down to one irresponsible individual.

I am always impressed by the dedication the 99.5% of dog owners give to the unpleasant task of cleaning up after their pets.

There is regular dogmess in my area and it is probably down to no more than one or two irresponsible owners. If they can be traced and problem resolved without resort to fines then good as even to fine everyone caught would not pay for one dog warden.

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banargustrolls says...
2:35pm Fri 2 Nov 12

Yes the council need to see this as a cash cow like they do parking - at least this will benefit everyone unlike the 'majority' of parking offenses.
Most dog owners just sheepishly slip away or pretend not to see their dog fouling - I see it all the time at Preston Park.

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daveww says...
3:13pm Fri 2 Nov 12

I could stop this in 2 weeks.
if anyone does not clean their dog mess up, I would stick them in a room and don’t let them leave the room until they have eaten it

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Somethingsarejustwrong says...
3:50pm Fri 2 Nov 12

HJarrs wrote:
307 complaints do not mean 307 irresponsible dog owners. Many of the complaints will be down to one irresponsible individual.

I am always impressed by the dedication the 99.5% of dog owners give to the unpleasant task of cleaning up after their pets.

There is regular dogmess in my area and it is probably down to no more than one or two irresponsible owners. If they can be traced and problem resolved without resort to fines then good as even to fine everyone caught would not pay for one dog warden.
I am not at all impressed with the dog owners who pick it up, its a minimum expectation. How about also carrying a plastic bottle with disinfectant in to cleanse the drop zone afterwards.

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KarenT says...
5:51pm Fri 2 Nov 12

banargustrolls wrote:
Yes the council need to see this as a cash cow like they do parking - at least this will benefit everyone unlike the 'majority' of parking offenses.
Most dog owners just sheepishly slip away or pretend not to see their dog fouling - I see it all the time at Preston Park.
No, NOT "most dog owners" do this. It's just a minority of lazy cretins that spoil it for everyone else, like most things in life.

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leobrighton says...
6:10pm Fri 2 Nov 12

Dog mess in Brighton is as rare as hens teeth nowadays I don't know what all the fuss is about. It seems its only the street drinkers who don't clean up after their dogs and its no good trying to fine them

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BrightonHoveboy says...
6:38pm Fri 2 Nov 12

We have been reporting dog owners locally for over two years and only now the council want us to keep a record for six months. Cretins

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
7:28pm Fri 2 Nov 12

I was closing the curtains late one night and saw a bloke let his dog take a giant **** on the pavement and he walked off.
I ran down the stairs and sped after him and accosted him. He almost **** himself as well. He now cleans up after his dog and when I asked the council to prosecute I was told they cannot even prosecute if someone is filmed letting their dog **** as "they may go back and clear it up later".
I sent that little story off to the BBC.
This council allows people to do what they like as its employees are all a bit wishy washy.

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PETE OF QUEENS PARK says...
7:51pm Fri 2 Nov 12

How about cleaning up the horse - - - - on the pavements the kids have to avoid on the Falmer Road by Longhill School every week

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getThisCoalitionOut says...
8:04pm Fri 2 Nov 12

Maxwell's Ghost wrote:
I was closing the curtains late one night and saw a bloke let his dog take a giant **** on the pavement and he walked off.
I ran down the stairs and sped after him and accosted him. He almost **** himself as well. He now cleans up after his dog and when I asked the council to prosecute I was told they cannot even prosecute if someone is filmed letting their dog **** as "they may go back and clear it up later".
I sent that little story off to the BBC.
This council allows people to do what they like as its employees are all a bit wishy washy.
Dear Maxwell - I am guilty of this - 3 or maybe 4 times in the 4 years that I've had my dog - he's done a number 2 and when I've looked in my pockets I've discovered that I haven't got a bag to put it in - BUT every time this has happened I have gone home and got a bag and put loads more in my pocket and gone back and picked up the number 2. So apologies for being forgetful but I do my best :)

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
8:44pm Fri 2 Nov 12

ahhh....the old bag test.
If you can't remember a bag, you aren't grown up enough to be in charge of a wild animal with the potential to kill......even sausage dogs have a killer instinct.

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Old Ale Man says...
7:00am Sat 3 Nov 12

On numerous times I have phoned Brightons animal welfare deparment and ask them to patrol parks, just get excuses as to why they wont, may as well close that department down for what there worth.

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jagiwatch says...
8:12am Sat 3 Nov 12

Goldstone Villas, Shirley Street, Livingstone Road are all like dog toilets at the moment and its getting worse

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Old Ale Man says...
8:32am Sat 3 Nov 12

A bloke down our pub followed a women that let their dog crap in his street to find out where she lived, then baged up the dog s*** and deposited it throug her letter box.with a note to say her dog had left the contents of the bag in his street and did she want it as the people in his road didn't!!!!!!

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Somethingsarejustwrong says...
7:57am Sun 4 Nov 12

Old Ale Man wrote:
A bloke down our pub followed a women that let their dog crap in his street to find out where she lived, then baged up the dog s*** and deposited it throug her letter box.with a note to say her dog had left the contents of the bag in his street and did she want it as the people in his road didn't!!!!!!
Brilliant - Wouldn't it be great if this was replicated across the city.

Even better would be to spread the muck all over the persons front door area. Should we set up a pre-Christmas campaign?

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
10:42am Sun 4 Nov 12

Yes the Yule dog log campaign. Good idea

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fubsy says...
11:16pm Mon 5 Nov 12

Don't expect any help from the council, they have no interest in anything that may be beneficial to the community, especially if there's no money in it, or, heaven forbid, they may have to do some work

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Old Ale Man says...
8:26am Tue 6 Nov 12

fubsy wrote:
Don't expect any help from the council, they have no interest in anything that may be beneficial to the community, especially if there's no money in it, or, heaven forbid, they may have to do some work
Your right there fubsy, it'll get worse before it gets any better.
The greens are like head less chickens, they couldn't organise a sh** in a brothel.

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