Bite on messy dogs' owners

Jan 28 2008 By Jane Tyler

A NEW war is being waged on dog mess in Birmingham after dozens of complaints.

The Edgbaston Constituency is now to draw up a strategy on how to deal with the issue.

Last year, there were 68 complaints from members of the public about dog mess in Harborne, Bartley Green, Quinton and Edgbaston.

Bartley Green is leading the way by installing six poop scoop bins in spots favoured by dog walkers.

But the ward is hit with a £220-a-year charge for emptying them as dog mess is classed as clinical waste. So councillors hope to encourage dog owners to collect their pets' waste, meaning the council will not incur the extra charge.

Coun Vivienne Barton (Con, Bartley Green) said: "Bartley Green was the first to have special dog bins and I hope we adopt a city-wide approach which includes installing more of these bins.

"These are much more desirable than carrying it home with you in your pocket.

"It will encourage dog owners to clear up the mess."

Coun Richard Bashford (Lab, Quinton) said: "We should make routes near schools a priority and should also have more prosecutions to deter people."

The Edgbaston constituency has dog wardens and free poop scoops have also been distributed.

Future tactics under consideration include: n Developing a constituency-wide policy.

* Identifying "hot spots" where there is a lot of dog fouling.

* Having at least one responsible dog ownership promotion in each ward per year.

* Expanding facilities and services to promote responsible dog ownership.

* An educational campaign in schools. ..SUPL: