WEST Devon Borough Council is to launch a pilot scheme to increase education and awareness of dog fouling within Tavistock tomorrow (June 1).

In response to residents’ requests calling for the council to try and tackle this problem, Mobile Locality Officers (MLOs) will be on site during the pilot to promote awareness of the scheme.

The MLOs will be counting the numbers of dog walkers, noting the numbers of dogs on leads and the willingness of owners to pick up after their pet and talking to them about what is important to them as a dog owner in the town.

Operating each Wednesday over the next four weeks, the scheme involves a temporary, eco-friendly chalk spray being sprayed on dog mess around the town, which will then be collected by the council’s waste contractors, FCC, on a daily basis. 

The educational scheme is aimed at raising awareness of the problem and hopefully encouraging dog owners not already picking up after their dog to become more responsible.

West Devon Borough Council’s lead member for commercial services, Cllr Robert Sampson, said: ‘I am very pleased to back this scheme. As a council, we take this matter very seriously and hope that by talking to members of the Tavistock dog owners’ community, we can help to educate and support owners so that this problem goes away once and for all.‘

Any irresponsible behaviour witnessed will result in council officers issuing swift, on the spot fines of £80. However, West Devon Borough Council would like to stress that this does not apply to those who are registered blind or has a disability in respect of a dog trained by a registered charity and upon which they rely on for assistance. 

There are major health impacts arising from dog mess and it is known to carry a parasite which can cause blindness, particularly in children. There is concern that E-coli may also be transmitted through direct contact, making it doubly important that any mess is cleared up quickly.

Bagged dog poo can be placed in any general waste bin – there is no need for concern about odour as litter bins in the pilot area are emptied on a daily basis and elsewhere on regular collection rounds.