Was Bob Servant correct? Should dogs be banned from Dawson Park?

On Saturday I received this letter in an email from a constituent. He is part of the Ferry Athletic Youth Football Club whose young players play regularly on the pitches at Dawson Park. The letter is self explanatory. 

In response the same day, I contacted the Animal Control Team to ask them to police this area much more rigorously. I have also asked the Environment Department to clean up this area. I am also appealing to all dog owners to be responsible and pick up their dog's excrement by using the free bags available from the Library and depositing these in the dog bins available in this park.

Dear Sir,

Was Bob Servant correct?

Should all dogs be banned from Dawson Park?

I agree, this is an unreasonable suggestion. However something has to be done.

As one involved in youth and adult sports groups that use Dawson Park on a regular basis I am absolutely disgusted at the amount of dog excrement left by irresponsible dog owners.

Today one of our coaches collected 9 bags of this vile excrement from the area towards the east of the park near the cricket pitch. We regularly remind our coaches and players to collect any rubbish at the end of training sessions and games.  A plastic juice bottle left behind might not degrade through time and look unsightly. But it doesn’t carry dangerous toxins or leave your shoes, car mat, carpet or child’s clothing smelling vile. With all the publicity recently with the Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow and the promotion of activities to keep children active this situation is simply unacceptable.  They would be safer at home playing on a games console!

We pay a substantial amount of money to Dundee City Council each year to use these facilities and every week without fail we have to spend time collecting dog mess. If any driver on Arbroath Road passing by notices marker cones in random positions around the park, they are the ones covering up dog waste.

There are several dog waste bins at each entrance to the park and I thank responsible dog owners for cleaning up their animal’s mess. Of course it is the minority of irresponsible owners who are giving all dog walkers a bad name.

I look forward to Dundee City Council proposing a solution to this unhygienic and unsightly mess.

Regards,

Finbarr McCarthy

Ferry Athletic Youth Football Club

New Warning Signs for Dog Owners on Walkway at Douglas Terrace

Click on image to enlarge

As a regular dog walker along the coastal pathway from Douglas Terrace to the Stannergate, my attention was drawn today to the new sign (see left) erected by the Environment Department. 

This warning sign, reminds dog owners of their responsibility to clean up after their dog. It also  points out that if owners don't clean up after their dog, council staff or the police can issue a Fixed Penalty Notice of £40, which increases if it's not paid.

Many of my constituents complain about dog fouling in The Ferry. According to Keep Scotland Tidy, in a recent national survey, 69% of the Scottish public said that dog fouling bothered them more than any other type of litter and 52% singled it out as the type that offended them most.

I hope that the new signs are backed up with enforcement so that we can look forward to cleaned up streets.

Update on Dog Fouling in The Ferry - Not the Bob Servant Solution

My recent press coverage about shortages in the supply of the Council's free dog poo bags resulted in many follow up conversations with folk in Broughty Ferry and beyond. For some responsible dog owners, it's the shortage of dog bins in certain locations such as Ferryfields and Central Broughty Ferry which is the issue. I have taken this up with the Environment Department. For others, it is concern about the irresponsible dog owners who, despite the bags and bins from the Council, don't clean up after their dogs. 

Dog owners can be reassured that I am not about to take the approach adopted by Bob Servant the Independent Candidate in the Broughty Ferry parliamentary by-election. By the way it's screening on BBC4 and BBC2 Scotland from later this week. In a telephone phone-in on the local radio station, he advocates banning all dogs from Dawson Park.

But seriously, I would like to see some fixed penalty fines being issued to errant owners who don't clean up after their dogs. The Council has these powers, but rarely seems to make use of these. This might make dog walkers think twice about not cleaning up after their dogs.

On a more positive note, I was notified about Dog Training Classes that run at the Brooksbank Community Centre on Pitairlie Road. They provide dog training to around 80 dog owners and their dogs every week. Monday night 6 - 7pm is for Puppies and 7 - 8pm is for Adult Dogs. These classes are repeated on Saturday mornings 10 - 11am and 11 - 12am £5 per week Concessions £3.  Brooksbank Centre, Pitairlie Road, Dundee DD4 8DG. Phone:  01382 432450

Council's Dog Poop Bags in Short Supply in Broughty Ferry

A  number of constituents have approached me to complain about the short supply of the Council's Dog Poop bags. Earlier this month these constituents tried the Library and their vets and they were both out of stock. When they returned a few days later to the Library on Queen Street, they were limited to one bundle of poop bags even though they own more than one dog.

I have written to the Director of Environmental Services, Ken Laing, and the Convener of the Environment Committee, Councillor Craig Melville, to enquire why Broughty Ferry residents are losing out and for reassurance that these shortages will be sorted out without further delay. I have also asked for reassurance that  they will not contemplate phasing out supplying these bags in their next round of budget cuts.  When this latter issue was raised with Ken Laing, about a years ago, he was quoted as saying:

'As a department we are looking at all opportunities for future savings and I am aware that this possible option (of phasing out the provision of free dog poop bags) has been discussed internally. I can confirm that we have no plans to remove this provision at present.'

I think that the supply of these bags, along with the provision of more than 1300 dog waste bins throughout the city, contributes to much cleaner streets. It would be a step in the wrong direction to remove the supply of the bags, which clearly many Ferry dog owners have come to rely on.