Sick of dodging dogs’ mess

A council in the Waikato is moving away from bins to save a buck, and says it wants dog owners to take responsibility for collecting and removing their pets’ poo.

But one man is getting sick of coming across dog excrement when he takes his daily run on a walkway east of Hamilton.

Jason Szabo has been in contact with Waikato District Council for two years, asking it to place bins at either end of the Newstead Walkway, in which dog owners would be able to dispose of their pets’ waste.

When spoke to council, it said the cost of clearing out dog bins would be prohibitive.

‘‘At this point, we won’t be installing a bin on Newstead Walkway,’’ council’s community connections manager Megan May said.

‘‘We place a strong emphasis on waste minimisation and are trying to encourage people to take personal responsibility for their rubbish and be responsible – ratepayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill to dispose of it.’’

May said council is trying to reduce the number of bins across the district, hence signs have been installed to remind dog owners to remove their waste.

‘‘Placing and maintaining a bin on the Newstead Walkway is not currently budgeted for. Cost of bin maintenance in our parks across the district every year is substantial – around $226,000.’’

But Szabo still had the resolve to push on and ask for ratepayer funded bins, as the poo problem was prevalent.

‘‘Today we’ve found five lots of dogs’ mess,’’ Szabo said.

‘‘Three of them were in doggy bags, so someone’s gone to the effort of picking it up – great – but then they leave the bag there, or they tie it to a tree.’’

He wondered if people expected the council to clean it up, as the Newstead Walkway is council land.

‘‘I use this every day. I go for walks, I go for a run with a friend from work, and I’m just getting sick and tired of trying to dodge dogs’ mess the whole time.’’

Signs at either end of the walkway did not seem enough to keep the mess at bay. The notices were erected within the last two years, for which time Szabo had been keeping on in council’s ear.

‘‘At least I felt like I was making some progress, and the signs were put up as a result of me championing it a little bit.’’

Jason Szabo, who works in Newstead, is sick of having to dodge dog droppings while heading down the local walkway. GARY FARROW/STUFF

GARY FARROW/STUFF The Newstead Walkway is mostly covered with grass, with dog droppings often left there, Szabo said.