Fixed penalties issued for ‘dog control offences’ on the rise in the county

Dale Spridgeon Local Democracy Reporter

A councillor has taken to tying dog “poo bags” to poles in a bid to get “lazy” owners to clean up their pet’s mess.

Llanllyfni councillor Peter Thomas, said he had taken to cable tying supplies of dog poo bags to fences and poles in problem areas in his ward and home area.

It comes as the number of fixed penalties issued for “dog control offences” were reported to be on the rise, a Cyngor Gwynedd report stated. According to the report the majority of fines related to dog fouling offences and breaches of exclusion zones, a meeting of the council’s community scrutiny committee heard.

Councillors were told dog fouling was increasing and expected to get worse with the arrival of the dark winter nights. Enforcement team officers would be “shifting their focus” from Gwynedd’s beaches and busy tourists areas to quiet streets and lanes over the winter.

Twenty-one dog fouling offences and and eight exclusion zone breaches were recorded between, 2023-24. In the first five months of 2024, there were eight dog fouling and eight exclusion offences.

Negative impact

The council currently implements a Public Spaces Protection Order (Dog Control) to protect the public. Fines of £100 can be issued to offenders, going up to £1000 if they refuse to pay.

A report stated that “a lack of dog control by owners has a negative impact on our communities with the cumulative effect of not clearing or picking up dog waste adversely affecting the image of communities and can pose a risk to human health”.

Dog control orders had been put in place in the county since 2013 and are now extended to August 14, 2027.

Powers relate to not clearing or picking up dog waste, allowing a dog to enter land where they are excluded and not putting and keeping a dog on a lead when asked by an authorised officer. Councillors today discussed how the orders should be implemented and heard an update on the process to extend the order. They also heard what measures were being undertaken to highlight the responsibilities of dog owners.

A public consultation had been held and was “…supportive and justified the aim of a continuation of the dog control powers,” a report said. Steffan Jones head of highways and municipal told the meeting that dog fouling continued to be a “contentious issue,” and that is was “important to have a procedure in place.”

The consultation had gathered 1100 responses, which he said showed it was “an important matter” for the people of Gwynedd. “In context, only 75 people responded to the flood strategy – a marked difference in responses,” he said.

Llanllyfni councillor Peter Thomas, said he had taken to tying supplies of dog poo bags to fences and poles in problem areas in his ward and home area. He said: “Some people are just lazy, they flatly refuse to pick up their dog mess, but I find most people do care about the issue.

“I cable tie the bags to the tops of poles- people say they are grateful they are there, especially for the times they forget to bring them out.

“People come and tell me they are running out and ask me for more – it is effective and it does seem to help the situation, if they are there people will use them.”

Cllr Linda Morgan agreed saying that providing bags “worked well” and that “the reds signs were the most effective.”

A vote to accept the committee’s report was unanimously agreed, and included an amendment inviting Gwynedd councillors to request the bags to be distributed by them in their own communities.