The issue of dog fouling received plenty of mention at Caistor Town Council on Thursday (June 11, 2015).
Cllr Deborah Barker raised the topic with West Lindsey District councillor Owen Bierley, who attended the meeting in his role of liaising with town and parish councils. Angela Lawrence, who also represents Caistor at West Lindsey, did not attend the meeting because she was unwell.
A special kind of vacuum cleaner is being used in Nottingham, which not only removed the mess, but disinfected the area afterwards, said Cllr Barker.
She asked what West Lindsey was doing to address the problem.
Cllr Bierley said there had been more success tackling the issue in Gainsborough than in rural areas. “Usually an individual can be responsible for a disproportionate amount of dog fouling,” he said. Officials with hi-viz clothing and more dog bins helped to combat the problem, he added.
But Cllr Barker said Caistor already had a good number of dog bins. “We need more enforcement and more picking up,” she said.
Educating dog owners was the only solution, said Cllr Alan Caine. “As soon as you see it, report it straight away.”
However Cllr Bierley agreed not many witnesses tend to see which dog owners are responsible.
Cllr Michael Galligan said there had been problems with dog fouling at the bottom end of North Street, at Westbrooke Grove and in Bank Lane. “It is an anti-social thing to do and people should be aware of this,” he said.
Cllr Clive Rudd mentioned reports of DNA sampling but Cllr Alan Caine said the cost was prohibitive. “Each DNA sample will cost hundreds,” he said.
Mayor Carol Mackenzie and Cllr Steve Millson asked that dog fouling be reported to the council, even if it is not known who is responsible. The maintenance officer would be able to monitor areas more effectively if they are known to have a problem, said Cllr Millson.
* The cleaner Cllr Barker mentioned could have been a device known as the Faeces Intake Disposal Operation – often referred to as Fido. It is an all-terrain cart which can collect 240 litres of dog dirt and convert it to slurry.
A smaller bike-style machine, the Poover, is also used in Nottingham, according to BBC reports.
An article in the Western Morning News website in 2012 referred to the cost of the Fido being £20,000, with some councils hiring them for £1000 per month.
North East Lincolnshire has a Fido machine and it is being operated in Grimsby, according to a report on the Grimsby Telegraph website dated January 2015.
I have noticed a huge increase in ‘dog mess’ in recent months and abhor this disgusting failing in certain owners. I would not flinch from reminding the offending pooches owner should I see it happening but, unfortunately I have not yet had the opportunity to do so! Owners also need reminding that public footpaths, such as the pathway across the Waterhill’s is NOT a dog toilet area! Walking across there the other day I noticed nearly a dozen ‘deposits’ Shame on these disgusting owners whoever they are!
We have a dog ourselves and always pick up after it and leave the place as tidy as we can. I walk along Riby Road, Canada Lane and across Waterhills often and it’s rare I see anyone pick up after them in fact a number of people park on the road near the entrance to Waterhills and stand at the gate whilst their dogs do what they have to do. The footpath along Riby Road is littered with dog mess and people will walk passt three dog bins and not use any of them. Some of the worse offenders are people who live on or near the areas I’ve mentioned. Rant over !