Did you set a New Year resolution of more exercise? I did – I’m trying to walk more.
I enjoy walking Gus along the coastal walk at Portavogie. The council have created a lovely walkway alongside the beach on the north side of the harbour and it’s a lovely walk – except that there’s nearly always a few piles of dog mess to navigate around.
I am furious when I see these disgusting piles of poo. It’s so easy to carry a poo bag and pick it up. But I had to smile when I saw a poster shared on Facebook. It said “Want to try yoga? Do the Downward Dog and pick up your dog’s poo.”
I’m not sure whether owners are oblivious and just don’t watch their dogs so don’t even see them eliminate, or whether some dogs are left to wander and roam and it’s they who produce the goods.
Whatever, it is firmly the owners responsibility to clean it up. I carry lots of bags so that I can offer them to anyone I see who ignores their dog’s offerings (and I do).
Derry City and Strabane District Council have just announced new, stricter controls on dogs to try and combat the fouling problem there. The mayor, Michaela Boyle, is blind in one eye as a result of toxocariasis, passed on in worms in dog faeces, which she picked up as a child. The council are planning more extensive measures than at present, including limiting dog access to shared play areas and increasing the places dogs must be on lead, alongside possible DNA testing of dog mess to identify the main culprits, something several councils across the UK are considering.
Most owners are responsible and do pick up their dogs mess, but the few that don’t mean that responsible owners suffer – access to places where dogs can run freely off lead seems to be reducing at a scary rate and we need to protect what we’ve currently got.
So please, pick up after your dog.
Keep training,
Carol
PS If you are worried by the plastic in dog poo bags, as I am, I’ve found some eco-friendly poo bags that are compostable and fully biodegradable but still strong enough to hold your dog’s poo and not split as you pick it up. You can get them from EcoVibe here: https://ecovibe.co.uk/collections/pets