This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26120449
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Dog fouling: Belfast City Council's call to amend legislation fails | Dog fouling: Belfast City Council's call to amend legislation fails |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A plan to force dog owners in Belfast to carry bags or other means to clean up after their pet has been rejected by the Department of the Environment (DoE). | A plan to force dog owners in Belfast to carry bags or other means to clean up after their pet has been rejected by the Department of the Environment (DoE). |
| Belfast City Council lobbied the DoE to introduce a law to make it an offence. | Belfast City Council lobbied the DoE to introduce a law to make it an offence. |
| The proposal is contained in a Belfast City Council dog-fouling action plan. | The proposal is contained in a Belfast City Council dog-fouling action plan. |
| It would have enabled dog wardens to issue fixed penalty notices to dog owners without bags or other means to clear up after their dog. | It would have enabled dog wardens to issue fixed penalty notices to dog owners without bags or other means to clear up after their dog. |
| However, the DoE decided not to amend the current legislation. | However, the DoE decided not to amend the current legislation. |
| It is currently an offence for a dog-owner to fail to remove excrement left by their dog. | It is currently an offence for a dog-owner to fail to remove excrement left by their dog. |
| Owners can face a fixed penalty of up to £80 if they are caught allowing their dog to foul a public area. | Owners can face a fixed penalty of up to £80 if they are caught allowing their dog to foul a public area. |
| Belfast City Council issued 232 fines to dog owners on that basis in 2013. | Belfast City Council issued 232 fines to dog owners on that basis in 2013. |
| They have also provided dog wardens with cameras to aid the enforcement process, and are considering providing dog-fouling bags in public parks. | They have also provided dog wardens with cameras to aid the enforcement process, and are considering providing dog-fouling bags in public parks. |
| Councillor Stephen Corr, who chairs Belfast City Council's Health and Environmental Services committee, said their proposal was only one of a number of ideas to tackle the problem. | |
| "I don't know how enforceable that would be," he told Good Morning Ulster. | |
| "To stop and question someone to produce a dog-fouling bag is not that practical in essence." |