what a bloody good idea

A RESPONSIBLE dog owner from New Brighton is the first winner of a
monthly prize draw that rewards people who clean up after their pet
while out walking.

As part of the council's "Don't Give A Dog A Bad Name" campaign,
patrol officers who observe people removing and disposing of their
pet’s mess are giving out reward cards entitling the owners to
entry into the monthly draw.

The first winner is Carol Higginson who cleaned up after her dog Toffee while out for a walk along New Brighton promenade.

She received her prize – £50 worth of high street
vouchers – from Cllr Gill Gardiner, Wirral's cabinet member for
Environment as the campaign, which was launched in New Brighton last
month, moved along the coast to Hoylake this week.

And if the first month of the campaign is anything to go by, it
appears that the campaign message, supported by the regular,
high-profile patrols by Wirral Community Patrol, Police Community
Support Officers and other enforcement officers, is getting through to
the public.

To date, no fixed penalty notices have been issued to owners who
have fallen foul of the law by not cleaning up after their dog.

Cllr Gardiner said: "The feedback we are receiving from the staff
who are out on patrol to educate dog owners about the importance of
cleaning up their pet's mess is that the campaign is making a
difference.

"Whether it's the deterrent effect of the uniform or a better
understanding of the issue that is influencing people we don't know,
but what is important is that more dog mess is getting picked up by
owners immediately and that is a really positive start to the summer."

Armed with powers to enforce dog fouling legislation, Wirral's
Community Patrol is carrying out additional, dedicated patrol
operations across Wirral throughout the summer months to tackle the
issue.

Their primary role, supported by Police Community Support officers
and staff from Wirral Council’s Animal Control team, is to raise
awareness among dog walkers of the importance of cleaning up after
their pet. However, they will use their powers to issue fixed penalty
notices against irresponsible owners and, in some cases, pursue a
prosecution through the courts, if they observe the law being broken.

To reinforce their message and make it easier for owners, staff are
giving out biodegradable ‘poop bags’ to dog walkers and
reminding them that these bags, once used, can be deposited in any
general waste bin.

Cllr Gill Gardiner added: "Very few environmental issues generate
as much correspondence from residents as dog litter, it is clearly
something that the public feel strongly about and want to see tackled.

"We are targeting these extra resources around particular hot spots
and at key times in an effort to reach the people that matter –
the owners themselves.

"The council can - and does - regularly undertake clean-up
operations, but the best way of keeping these areas clean for the
benefit of everyone is through the owners themselves taking
responsibility for their own mess."



Pictured is Carol Higginson and her dog Toffee with Cllr Gill
Gardiner, senior community patrol officer Mike Collins (left) and
Senior Dog Warden Dave Holden (right).