Serial Irresponsible Dog Owner Faces Court Action!
A serial irresponsible dog owner has been fined over £440 in court, for failing to clean up after his dog.
The man from Ynysybwl, allowed his dog to roam the streets on his own, with no regard for his actions. Whilst on his travels the dog fouled on a public grassed verge and his owner was nowhere to be found to clean up and remove the faeces.
As part of the Council’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which was introduced in October 2017, all dog owners in Rhondda Cynon Taf must clean up after the dogs immediately and dispose of it properly – something that is near impossible if you allow your dog to roam on their own. Failure to adhere to any of the actions in the PSPO will automatically see the owner walk away with a £100 FINE.
The man in question is no stranger to a FINE and had previously been issued with FOUR Fixed Penalty Notices for failing to adhere to the PSPO and allowing his dog to foul in public and failing to clean it up. When the Council’s Enforcement Officer discovered that this owner had, once again ignored the rules and shown no regard for public health in his community, there was no other option, but to send him straight to court to be dealt with!
The man was sent home from court with a fine for over £440 (Fine £80, Costs £330, Victim Surcharge £34) – this time his flagrant disregard for the law had cost him more than he had bargained for.
The message from the Council is clear – if an irresponsible dog owner is found breaching the rules of the PSPO, the Council will take action and they will receive a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) and/or face court action.
Another the key concern the PSPO looks to address is dog fouling on sports fields – even if the fouling is picked up, remnants of it still remains on the grass and soil, which is not only disgusting but could also have serious life-changing health consequences.
Some irresponsible dog owners decide not to pay the initial £100 FPN or continuously ignore the rules like this latest offender and face court action being taken – ultimately ending up with some very costly walkies, as this offender has discovered. Their details could also be publicised on the Council's website and Social Media channels.
The Council recently took action by stencilling TWO simple messages in key locations across Rhondda Cynon Taf, including local schools and community centres. The messages are simple ‘NO DOG FOULING’ and ‘NO DOGS ON PITCHES’ and are part of the overall campaign to crack down on those who ignore the rules set out in the PSPO, in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure said:
“We’re committed to tackling irresponsible dog owners and have invested tens of thousands in improving facilities across RCT. There are over 1500 red dog bins in RCT in key hot spots/known dog walking routes and more are on order, so there is no excuse not to bag it and bin it!”
“The latest conviction once again demonstrates the Council's dedication to tackling dog fouling issues – if an irresponsible dog owner is found breaching the rules of the PSPO we will take action and issue a £100 fine. If they continuously ignore the rules they will face court action being taken, a large fine and a criminal record, as this man has now found out.
“The vast majority of dog owners are responsible but unfortunately some dog owners don’t seem to realise that failing to clear up after their dog’s mess in public places is illegal. It’s a dirty eyesore on our County Borough as well as having serious health implications for the community and we must do all we can to eradicate this problem.
“The Council would rather see a clean County Borough and dog walkers acting responsibly rather than issue fines – which could be easily avoided if they follow the clear messages, follow the rules and act responsibly – they are there to protect everyone who want to enjoy our beautiful County Borough.”
In the last year (June 2021 to May2022) the Council has issued over 945 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to those who have been caught littering, fly-tipping, breaking the PSPO and failing to control their waste in Rhondda Cynon Taf. All the revenue generated from the FPNs is invested back in frontline services to further improve our County Borough and respond to the priority issues our residents have identified.
For more information on the dog fouling rules in Rhondda Cynon Taf visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/DogFouling.
