After my Arreton Ramblings Blog relating to the increase in Dog Mess was printed in the Isle of Wight County Press, the subject is still
causing readers to write in to the papers letters page.
It seems that the responsible pet owners are all of one
voice, that the irresponsible owners are giving all dog owners a bad name on
the island. Countless times owners are seen with their dogs off leads and the
pet is allowed to defecate, and the faeces are not being picked up.
While out this week walking Pippa on Arreton Down, again
even in the Nature Reserve there is Dog mess about, even some from unhealthy Dogs,
as I spot “Chalk Poo” on the ground.
This week in County Press, Don Hughes from Totland Bay on
IOW advocates a Dog by-Law that Dogs should be kept on leads at all times.
Reading in The Telegraph last week an article reads: “that
the city of Barcelona is to impose a ban on people walking their dogs off the
lead. Barcelona city officials announced the tough new laws on Monday in a bid
to boost animal protection and improve “co-existence between residents and
animals”. Until now, the city laws state that owners could let their dogs off
the leash as long as they were well behaved but in future dogs will only be
able to run free in specially designated areas within the city. Those who fail
to keep their dogs on the leash or do not immediately pick up their dog’s
messes will be fined up to €1,500”.
Another article from The Telegraph from April 2011 reads: “The
town council of Hernani, near San Sebastian in northern Spain, approved the
introduction of a bylaw last week that will force pet owners to register their
pet's DNA for a municipal dog census.In a measure dubbed "Canine CSI"
by residents, after the US television series CSI about forensic investigators,
deposits found in the street will be collected by a special team and sent off
to laboratories at the University of the Basque Country for clinical analysis. Owners
of dogs whose DNA matches the samples will be tracked down through the database
and face fines of up to €300 euros (£265). Those who refuse to provide DNA
analysis of their dogs face similar fines. "People should not to have to
suffer this filth," explained Marian Beitialarrangoitia, the mayor from
the separatist Basque party ANV who introduced the initiative. The scheme is
twofold, she added, in that it will also help identify lost or abandoned dogs
in the area”.
So it seems that Spain is tackling the “DOG POO MESS” head
on, but even with the present by-laws about Dog owners should pick up after
their pet in the UK, seemsthey are not being enforced here on the island.
Another article from the Telegraph relating to my First DogPoo Arreton Ramblings comes from 2010.
“Dog owners told to 'poop scoop' in countryside. The open
countryside may be viewed by dog owners as the ideal place for walks, with
plenty of space for their pets to run around and no need to bring along a ‘poop
scoop’. But angry farmers have insisted that failing to clean up after dogs in
rural Britain is just as unacceptable as in a built-up town or city. They
claimed there have been increases in livestock deaths from diseases found in
dog faeces and demanded councils provide more ‘poop scoop’ bins in rural areas.
Bob Carruth, communications director of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) in
Scotland, said: “We want to encourage people to be more responsible. “When they
are walking around towns or cities they will as a matter or course use a pooper
scooper to clear up their dog mess. We want them to do the same in the
countryside.” The union also called for posters to be displayed in farmland
areas to raise awareness of the problem and a change to the Scottish Outdoor
Access Code to explain the risks more clearly. The NFU said there has been an
increase in cases of a disease, neospora, which can be spread by dogs eating
infected material from cattle, such as placentas from newly-calved cows. It is then spread through the dog’s faeces. The parasite
survives for several months and can contaminate the pasture and water supplies. Once cattle or sheep have the parasite, they are infected
for life. It causes livestock to miscarry or pass it on to any surviving
offspring. Another parasite, sarcocystosis, is spread the same way and can
cause illness and death in livestock. Research suggests about one in five
aborted cattle foetuses are infected with the neospora parasite, with an
increase in the problem in recent years. Sarcocystosis has similarly been
killing an increasing number of animals.”
So if you are a Dog Owner "Poop-Scoop" as you go!
No comments:
Post a Comment