THE Council is issuing a reminder to dog owners across the district to ‘Bag it, Bin it’ or face an £80 fixed penalty notice for failing to clean up after their pet. Failure to pay the fixed penalty notice will result in court proceedings, where the maximum fine is £1000.
Dog fouling is both a nuisance and a serious health hazard as dog faeces can contain a number of things which can make people ill or can even cause blindness.
In response to growing concerns of an increase in dog fouling across the district over recent months, with the number of dog fouling complaints received by the Council increasing by more than 20 per cent in 2020-21 compared to the previous year, the Council has introduced a range of additional measures to tackle the issue. These include stepping up dog control patrols by Council enforcement officers and the roll out of a targeted communications campaign which includes stencilling graphics on pavements of popular walking routes to remind dog owners to clean up after their pet.
Chairman of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Errol Thompson said:
“Dog fouling is one of the most unacceptable and offensive types of litter on our streets and open spaces. As well as being unsightly, it is unhygienic and is also extremely dangerous with severe health implications as dog faeces can cause diseases in humans such as toxocariasis which can result in serious illness and may lead to blindness.
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