HBC: Poo Dunnit? £50 dog fouling reward scheme

Hyndburn’s refuse and recycling wagons are now being used in the fight against dog fouling, displaying banners asking Poo Dunnit? - promoting the £50 reward scheme for residents who can prove that a person has failed to clean up after their dog has fouled.

Cllr Paul Cox, Cabinet Member for Environmental Issues, said: “We need local people to help us in the fight against dog fouling and so it’s great that our fleets of recycling and refuse vehicles are out about all over the borough helping to promote the £50 reward scheme. We take a proactive approach to dog fouling, but we can’t have a dog warden on every street corner. We will make payments to residents who inform us of dog owners who allow their dogs to foul on footpaths and other places which lead to the issue of a fixed penalty notice, or a successful prosecution.”

Councillor Cox added; “Residents feel strongly about dog fouling, we are determined to do all we can to combat it. We’ve already installed an extra hundred dog bins around the borough, bringing the total to 300, with another 54 in parks. We’ve also provided 200,000 free bags for owners to use to clear up their dog waste which are available from Scaitcliffe House Reception and Willows Lane Depot Reception.

We will also take people to court where necessary and recently a man who allowed his dogs to foul on two separate occasions in Accrington was convicted in court and ordered to pay over £500 in fines and costs. Another dog fouling case is currently pending in the court and several fixed penalty notices have also been issued by Police Community Support Officers in Clayton-le-Moors.

This £50 reward campaign is about getting the message through to the minority of irresponsible dog owners who don’t clean up after their dogs that we are on the case and anyone caught failing to clean up after their dog will face a fine. Dog fouling is unsightly, unpleasant and can be dangerous to health and this scheme is part of our campaign to tackle it.”

If the information provided leads to either a successful prosecution or the issuing of a Fixed Penalty Notice, then, subject to criteria and guidelines, the Council will give the resident who reported it £50.

See details of the £50 reward scheme, how to report and the qualifying criteria are on the Council website at: http://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=888&pageNumber=1

The vehicles will also help to spread the message about free micro chipping sessions which will carry on taking place across the Borough, as the law is changing and from 6th April 2016 micro chipping will be compulsory for all dog owners in England.