Dog Fouling
The Council’s Dog Control & Welfare Officers can help you with problems you have with Dog Fouling
Who will investigate my complaint?
An experienced Dog Control & Welfare Officer who deals with all dog related problems in the community.
Confidentiality
Your name and address will never be given to the person complained about without your permission. However you should be aware that for us to proceed with an investigation which could eventually end in court proceedings we need to know who you are and your name may eventually be known to the offender.
What type of complaints do we investigate?
There are three main types of dog fouling complaints:-
- Those that occur in a public place and where we can proceed with formal action.
- Those that occur in a public place and where we cannot proceed with formal action.
- Those that occur in private property and where the fouling can cause nuisance to neighbours.
What will happen?
When your complaint is received you will be contacted within 3 days by a Dog Control & Welfare Officer. The officer will want to know some basic details such as:-
- Where the dog fouling is occurring.
- When it is occurring, and if possible
- Who is allowing the fouling to occur
The site will be visited at the appropriate time by a uniformed Dog Control & Welfare Officer in a marked vehicle. To maintain confidentiality your house will not be visited unless you specifically request it.
Is there any difference in dealing with complaints concerning Council Housing?
Generally there is not however in certain cases the Officer may have to involve our Housing Services if the dog is causing a nuisance to neighbours.
What are the likely outcomes of your complaint?
- In the case of persons allowing their dog to foul in a public place
- Most of the complaints we deal with are resolved informally by discussion with the persons involved where they can be identified. The Dog Control & Welfare Officers offer advice on what can be done to stay within the law.
- Formal action where the offence is witnessed by the Dog Control & Welfare Officer who will issue a fixed penalty notice.
- Formal action where two members of the public who witnessed the offence are prepared to make statements to this effect. The Dog Control & Welfare Officer will take statements and issue a fixed penalty notice.
- In the case of Fouling of Public or Private Areas where nuisance is occurring
- In the case of a public place the Dog Control & Welfare Officer will report this to the council service responsible for cleaning the area in question e.g. park, pedestrian precinct etc and request that the area be cleaned.
- In the case of a private property the Dog Control & Welfare Officer will attempt to deal with it informally with the party responsible. Failing that he will pass it to an Environmental Health Officer to deal with under Public Health legislation.
What are you entitled to from Dog Control & Welfare Officers?
- To be shown identification (all our officers carry identity cards)
- A courteous and professional manner
- Confirmation of the action taken as a result of your complaint
