Council slammed for messing with dog poo
Plans to spray paint dirt branded a waste of money
A plan to shame pet owners by spray painting dog mess in the street has been slammed as a waste of time.
It was revealed that Renfrewshire Council workers will cover dog dirt in fluorescent paint then return to remove it two days later.
But the mess-busting scheme has come under fire, with councillors labelling it a ‘stupid’ waste of time and money.
Councillor Carolann Davidson, who is member for Paisley East and Central, says plans to tackle the persistent problem of dog fouling will not have the desired effect.
She said: “I’ve just heard the latest, stupid, money wasting idea from the administration at Renfrewshire Council.
“Believe it or not, they are actually going to spray paint dog fouling with fluorescent paint and leave it for 48 hours before sending out another team to lift it. “You seriously can’t make it up. “So now, if you step on a poo you’ll also get paint all over your shoes.”
The policy emerged at the meeting of Paisley East and Whitehaugh Community Council earlier this week during a discussion on the problem.
However, council bosses hit back saying a new approach is desperately required to highlight to dog owners who need to take responsibility for their pet.
Councillor Cathy McEwan, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “Through our Team Up to Clean Up campaign, we are working successfully to address a number of issues including litter, flytipping, recycling and dog fouling.
“We recognise that Renfrewshire has a minority of dog owners who are failing to pick up after their dogs and we want to remove this issue from our streets to improve their cleanliness.
“We are looking at innovative ways of changing people’s behaviour, one of which will include a campaign which focuses on problem streets through spraying the issue with biodegradable paint, street stencilling and posters, as well as enforcement by our Wardens Service.
“This has proved successful in other authorities and will force people to take notice, encourage them to ensure they aren’t the ones causing their street to be unclean and increase the majority of responsible dog owners we have in Renfrewshire.”
Residents can sign up online to be a responsible dog owner in Renfrewshire via www.surveymonkey. com/r/responsibledogowner