Dog fouling continues to frustrate pedestrians in Fermoy

A concerned mother of three and dog owner living in Fermoy has expressed her frustration at the issue with dog fouling in the locality.

The mother described an incident that occurred recently in which she spotted a couple walking a dog along College Road and the couple allowed the dog to foul, yet did not pick up after their animal.

“I drove back to make sure I wasn’t seeing things and I confronted the couple about it down the road. I offered them a bag but the man was getting aggressive and asking ‘What business is it of yours?’” she told The Avondhu.

CIVIL MATTER

According to the mother, the couple claimed they were on their way to purchase dog bags, yet refused the bag that was offered to them. The mother claims she then informed the couple that she would report the matter if they did not return to pick up after their dog.

With dog fouling becoming more and more prevalent across the region since the Covid-19 pandemic begun, the mother notes that she has often returned home and had to clean dog foul off of her children’s buggy, scooters, bikes and suchlike.

She went on to note that following this incident, she met two members of the gardaí to whom she reported the issue.

“They said it was a civil matter, so basically the dog was allowed to foul and there was nothing I could do. It’s very frustrating when you’re trying to do the right thing and give people a chance.

“When you go to report it, there’s nothing you can do unless the warden actually sees the dog fouling. I would need to take a court case against these people out of my own pocket if I wanted something done about it,” the mother added.

She went on to note that people in the locality are now walking their dogs at night to avoid being caught.

DUMPING OF BAGS

Another issue highlighted is where people are using doggy bags to pick up after their dogs, but are then dumping these bags on ditches or on the side of the road. Glenabo Woods and St Colman’s pitch were noted as particular problem areas, in which the issue of dumped doggy-bags is prevalent.

“In Colman’s, kids climb a bit of wall there and there’s a whole section where there are loads of people dumping poo bags. People are actually making the effort to bring bags and then just dumping them anyway.

“It’s very frustrating because there are some parts where small kids can’t even walk on a footpath because of the amount of dog poo on it,” she added.

PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

In a recent article published by TheAvondhu,, members at the Fermoy Municipal District meeting highlighted the health threats posed by dog fouling, to which council official Mary Hayes said that the best course of action would be a public awareness campaign.

Ms Hayes said that the council were in the process of discussing a major information campaign and that traffic wardens would now be empowered to deal with the problem.

Under Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act, 1977, it is not an offence to allow a dog under your control to foul in a public place, however, it is an offence to allow your dog to foul and fail to remove and dispose of the foul subsequently.

An on-the-spot fine of €150 can be imposed on the owner of a dog who fails to remove dog foul from a public place, with the maximum fine for this offence being €3,000, according to Cork County Council.