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Tackling dog fouling

Published: 10/02/2017

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to review and approve a report on the introduction of more stringent dog control orders on public open space, when it meets later this month. As has been reported earlier, a Member Task and Finish Group was brought together in 2016 to look at the schemes available for tackling dog fouling which had been introduced elsewhere in England and abroad, including the introduction of dog DNA schemes and the creation of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs). Following a full discussion at the Council’s Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee a recommendation to Cabinet not to introduce the Dog DNA scheme at this time was made however, the report does recommend replacing the current Dog Control Order with a new PSPO which would cover all open space in the County. The existing Dog Control Order only covers the need for dog owners to remove their dog’s faeces from public areas. The new PSPO, will give the Council more powers to enforce other designated offences, such as the complete exclusion of dogs or a requirement to keep dogs on leads on certain classifications of open space. Flintshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Bernie Attridge, said: “This is a really positive move towards dealing with dog fouling as well as tackling other issues, such as dogs running loose on children’s play areas, marked sports pitches or other formal recreation areas. Whilst we recognise the importance of exercising our pets, we need to strike a balance to ensure that other users of our open spaces can also do so safely.”