Whether you’re walking around town, taking in the nature reserve, or enjoying the local footpaths through the countryside, there’s a good chance you’ll see piles of dog mess that haven’t been cleared up by the dog’s owner. Seeing it too late usually. So why is there so much of it here, and is there a solution just along the coast?
Hastings dog walkers could soon face fines for failing to carry poo bags, as a result of new rules.
On Monday 7 September, Hastings Borough Council’s cabinet approved plans to extend the town’s Dog Control Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for a further three years. Alongside the extension, council leaders also agreed to add a new condition to the order, which will make it “an offence to not have a suitable means to remove dog faeces”.
During the meeting, Councillor Becca Horn, cabinet member for community safety and environmental services, said the new rules had seen support from the majority of the 253 people who responded to a public consultation on the proposals. “We had overwhelming support, 96% of responders were in favour of the additional controls of making sure people have the means to pick up their pup’s plops, because frankly they should. This isn’t about really laying down the law and coming down hard on people from the word go. It actually gives our enforcement officers an opportunity to engage with people, to have a conversation with them and to educate them about the need to make sure that they do have a dog poo bag on them or the means to pick it up.”
In a report to cabinet, officers said the new rule would create a preventative offence, as current rules require an officer to witness a “fouling event”.
Image Credits: James Stewart .