Waterford City and County Council has launched a new anti-dog fouling campaign promoting a simple theme; “Bag it & Bin it”.
The campaign asks dog owners to clean up after their dog. It is being run in conjunction with Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford County Councils.
This campaign is set to run for the remainder of 2021, and is set to firmly emphasise that dog fouling is your responsibility as a dog owner. The campaign will address a range of issues surrounding dog fouling, from its effect on the public who use our streets, parks and beaches, to attitudes to cleaning up as dog owners, from health issues to civic pride. The campaign will reach across social media, local newspapers, radio, community groups and schools.
Speaking at the launch of the Anti-Dog Fouling campaign Mayor of the City and County of Waterford Councillor Damien Geoghegan explained that, “Currently there are some dog owners who do not clean up after their dog and some who clean up, but leave the bag on a wall, tree or ground when nobody is watching. We believe that a relatively small proportion of dog owners behave badly in this way, but it has a big impact on others who use our public spaces; children, walkers, wheelchair users, runners, ball players, etc. Whether you walk your dog on a street, in a park or on a beach, the message is simple… Bag it & Bin it. “
Cllr Geoghegan went on to say that, “We regularly receive complaints about dog fouling from around the county… If you don’t pass a bin on your walk home, then simply put the bag in your black bin when you reach your house. It may not be the most glamorous part of owning a dog, but it is part and parcel of it all the same.” The key of the campaign’s success will be the community support behind it and we are keen to collaborate with local groups to spread the campaign message across the county. We are already working with a number of residents associations, community groups and Tidy Towns groups to spread this message in local communities.
Over the next 12 months a variety of community initiatives will be rolled out throughout the county and county and an education pack aimed at primary schools will be launched in the autumn.
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