Dog poo still a issue in Gorey

A co-ordinated campaign is needed to tackle the scourge of dog dirt and irresponsible owners who do not clean up after their canines according to one Gorey councillor.

Cllr Malcolm Byrne said he was sick of seeing dog poo littering the town’s paths, parks and housing estates.

‘Like many others, I’ve had enough of seeing dog dirt being left in our parks, on public footpaths, on our beaches. The majority of dog owners are responsible and clean up after their pets but we really need to tackle those who simply don’t care and get tough.’

He said he believed that where a dog is found to be defecating and the owner does not clean up the owner should be fined but also lose their licence.

‘If they can not clean up after their dog, they should not be entitled to own a dog. We take driving licences away from irresponsible motor vehicle owners; we should do the same with dog licences for those who don’t care.’

He has called for the Council wardens to engage in a targeted campaign early mornings and in the evenings, especially to catch owners who let their dogs loose in public parks and play areas.

Cllr Byrne also urged members of the public to report offenders to the County Council and if they can identify regular times where dogs are let out to defecate to alert the authorities.