RCTC claim more than 100 fines of £100 issued to irresponsible dog owners
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has now issued more than 100 fines of £100 to irresponsible dog owners across the County Borough.
To coincide with new, harder-hitting rules for dog owners that were introduced in October 2017, the Council’s Streetcare team has stepped up its patrols in streets, parks and the countryside in order to tackle dog fouling – one of the problems most frequently reported to the Council by residents.
In order to keep the County Borough clean, the Council introduced a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) on October 1, 2017, stating that:
- Dog owners MUST clean up their dogs’ mess immediately and dispose of it properly.
- Dog owners MUST carry means to pick up dog mess (for example, bags) at all times.
- Dog owners MUST follow a direction from an authorised officer to put a dog on a lead.
- Dogs are BANNED from all schools, children’s play areas and marked sports pitches maintained by the Council.
- Dogs MUST be kept on a lead at all times in Council-maintained cemeteries.
A separate PSPO for dog controls at Aberdare Park only was also introduced on October 1, 2017, stating that dogs must be kept on leads at all times.
The new rules have been promoted through the Council’s Sort **IT Out! campaign, and have been clearly communicated to residents. Hundreds of signs outlining new prohibited areas for dogs have been erected across the County Borough, so dog walkers know exactly what is expected of them.
As of Monday, January 22, the Council had issued a total of 103 Fixed Penalty Notices – each could have avoided a fine by adhering to the Council’s message about acting responsibly.
Nigel Wheeler, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Director of Highways and Streetcare Services, said: “These new rules were introduced four months ago after residents told the Council they wanted to see action taken to tackle irresponsible dog owners – including in areas such as playgrounds used by children and marked pitches where residents enjoy playing sports.
“More than 100 fines have now been issued to dog owners who continue to ignore the Council’s message by breaking new rules brought in to keep our County Borough clean, for the benefit of residents and visitors. There is no excuse for not picking up after your dog, or walking them in prohibited areas.
“The Council would rather see a clean County Borough and dog walkers acting responsibly rather than issue fines. In total, fines of more than £10,000 have now been issued for people breaking the new dog fouling rules – which could have easily been avoided if people had simply acted responsibly.
“This figure shows that we are continuing to take a tough stance on this issue, while the Council will also install dozens more red dog mess bins this year to further encourage responsible dog ownership.”
For more information on the new dog fouling rules in Rhondda Cynon Taf, and the Council’s Sort **IT Out! campaign, visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/sortitout.
The Council will provide an update on the number of fines issued to irresponsible dog owners each month via its social media accounts.
