Wigan Council is hoping residents will follow the lead on a new campaign that encourages dog owners to clean up after their pets.
The ‘Paws and Pick it Up’ campaign is looking to crackdown on the small minority of dog owners who flout the law and spoil public spaces for everyone else.
While the days are shorter and the temptation to not pick up dog poo is higher, the Council is asking residents to be responsible for any mess their dog leaves.
As part of the initiative, Wigan Council will be releasing bad dispensers and torches to aid pet owners when they are out, especially at night.
In The Big Listening Project residents said they wanted clean and green communities they could be proud of. The council’s Our Town campaign is committed to tackling environmental issues and ensuring Wigan Borough remains cleaner and more attractive to residents.
Councillor Paul Prescott, cabinet member for environment, said: “While the vast majority of dog owners in Wigan and Leigh are responsible people who pick up after their pets, there is still a small minority who leave the mess behind in places where children play.
“The latest feedback from residents tells us that dog fouling is a priority in the borough and one they would like to see addressed. It is every dog owner’s duty to clean up after their dog. There are no excuses, fouling is unacceptable.”
A recent consultation which attracted just short of 500 responses found that the vast majority were in favour of dog fouling enforcement across the public land and for owners to always have poo bags at the ready anytime they walked their pooh.
If approved next month, Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) could soon cover dog fouling hotspots and mean dogs are not allowed to be walked on children’s play areas and sports pitches, while also kept on their leads in defined areas.
PSPOs are proposed around play areas in the following public parks; Haigh Hall, Pennington Flash, Mesnes Park, Jubilee Park, Central Park/Morley St Park, Leyland Park, Abram Park, Pennington Hall Park, Ashfield Park, Shevington Park, Astley
