Irresponsible Arun dog walkers face hefty fine

Arun District Council said it has joined the community-led, national Green Dog Walkers scheme to ‘bring irresponsible dog walkers to heel’.

Dog owners are asked display a Green Dog Walkers badge ‘to show that they take responsibility for cleaning up after their pets’.

A spokesperson said: “Volunteers are also encouraged to carry extra dog poo bags and be happy to give them out to other dog walkers who have been ‘caught short’ and to highlight any problem areas to the council.”

Councillor Dan Purchese, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said the initiative is about ‘educating the small minority of dog owners who don’t pick up after their pets’.

He added: “Dog fouling in the district continues to be an issue, so we’d encourage dog owners in the district to sign the pledge and help us to tackle the problem in order to keep our beaches, streets, footpaths and green areas clean and safe.”

Anybody who allows their dog to foul in public and fails to pick it up could be given an £80 on-the-spot fine, whilst failure to pay could result in court action, the district council warned.

The scheme launched last weekend in conjunction with Angmering Parish Council at its community day event where residents were given more information on how to become a Green Dog Walker.

The spokesperson added: “If any other parish or town councils would like to become involved with the scheme,

then please contact us on [email protected]

“For more information on the scheme, visit www.arun.gov.uk/greendogwalkers.”

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