Pet Corner: Pick up your dog’s poo or one local authority will use DNA to find and fine you
Cleaning up after your dog is essential. Picture: iStock
While fines and measures are in place to deter pet owners from choosing to leave dog poo on a path, the hit-and-miss implementations of these means many choose to ignore the law.
A recent survey by Dogs Trust reveals 69% of people surveyed claim they often witness dog walkers not cleaning up after their dog, with 57% indicating that dog fouling is a big issue in their area.
Some city and county councils have been criticised in the past for their low numbers of penalties and lack of enforcement of dog waste laws, but one local authority is taking things a step further.
Leitrim County Council plans to introduce DNA testing to identify dog owners who neglect to pick up dog waste left on streets, parks, walking trails and housing estates.
Wondering how it will work? Dog owners will be asked to co-operate with the warden in allowing a sample of saliva to be taken from their dog. When the Leitrim animal warden takes samples of dog waste in areas with high levels of dog fouling, they can use that DNA to match the poo with saliva samples taken from dogs in the same area.
Dog owners who fail to comply and provide a saliva sample will be issued with a statutory notice under the Animal Health & Welfare Act which compels the owner to allow a sample to be taken from their dog. Failure to comply with this notice, in not allowing a sample to be taken, will result in a fine or prosecution.
As extra incentive, if dog owners allow the animal warden to take voluntary samples which are later matched to unremoved poo, they will not be issued with a fine for a first-time offence. A fine may be issued for subsequent offences.
Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 states that dog owners have to clean up after their dog if it fouls in public places: for example, public roads and footpaths, housing estates and recreational areas.
Owners who fail to do this are guilty of an offence and can be fined if their dogs waste is not cleaned up. An on the spot fine of €150 can be issued for not cleaning up after your dog a public place, with a maximum fine of up to €3,000 if convicted in the District Court.
Dog waste poses a risk to health as it can contain deadly bacteria. It has been estimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million faecal coliform bacteria, which are known to cause cramps, diarrhoea, intestinal illness, and serious kidney disorders in humans.
