Dog owners - pick up the poop!

There is “something lacking” in anyone who allows their dog to foul in a public place and then walks away without picking it up.

That’s according to Mayor of County Cork Cllr Mary Linehan Foley who labelled the act as “disgusting and horrendous” at a recent county council meeting.

The Mayor’s comments followed a motion put forward by Fianna Fáil Councillor Ian Doyle calling for anti-dog fouling stencils to be implemented in public areas and walkways in the future.

Cllr Doyle said that the stencils would be a better way of tackling the problem than the traditional use of posters and signage, which he suggested is a form of litter in itself.

The proposal was widely praised by councillors with Labour Councillor James Kennedy suggesting that traffic wardens might extend their remit to that of dog fouling and litter.

Fianna Fail's Pat Hayes also praised the initiative, highlighting that dog ownership in the county increased hugely since the beginning of the pandemic.