Audio gadgets to be put in in public areas to encourage canine homeowners to scrub up poop

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Audio equipment is to be installed in a number of locations in Dublin to encourage dog owners to clean up after their dogs.

This is part of the Dublin City Council’s new dog fouling campaign as complaints about dog fouling have increased by 27 percentage points over the past 12 months.

In addition to the audio equipment, outdoor and digital advertising as well as video and radio advertising were created for this campaign and will run in Dublin City from April 4th for a period of two weeks.

“Dog fouling has become an important issue in our city’s public parks and open spaces,” said Dublin Mayor Hazel Chu.

“There are some people in our community who are at higher risk of coming into contact with dog litter and putting their health at risk, such as: Wheelchair users, the visually impaired, babies and toddlers. Whether you own a dog or not, dog poop in our public spaces affects the entire community. “

A working group was set up to look at the problem and Bernie Lillis, Dublin City Council’s waste prevention officer, said dog owners should be responsible.

“I urge dog owners / walkers to be responsible and to dispose of dog waste appropriately and not to leave the dog bag on railings or in bushes or on streets or footpaths, but you should wrap it up and dispose of it.

“Dog fouling is for everyone, it is not a dog problem, it is a human problem and we all need to take care of other people using our public spaces and make sure they are clean and safe and that we can all use them to stay healthy . “

Recent research by the Behavior & Attitudes for Dogs Trust found that 96 percent of dog owners said they would pick up after their dog. Still, 57 percent of respondents said there was a major dog fouling problem in their area.

In addition, seven out of ten people said they walked in dog poop on the street, while 51 percent encountered dog poop in their local park. Similarly, 31pc rolled a buggy through dog foul and 11pc rolled her wheelchair.

It is estimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria, which are known to cause convulsions, diarrhea, bowel disease, and severe kidney disease in humans.

The city council urges dog owners to always use a poop bag or shovel device to collect their dog before throwing it into the nearest trash can or taking it home and putting it in the household’s general trash can. Those who do not dispose of it properly can be fined € 150 according to the Litter Pollution Act.

Irish Independent