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Dogs and their messy owners - Matt (18th Feb 2009 - 22:27:21) Feedback from a reasonably new resident of Liphook- whilst walking with a buggy down through the village I literally had to dodge the dog mess. Having come from a reasonably clean and t*rd free town, Liphook falls into "fail" category for cleanliness and responsible dog owners. It`s a shame that a few selfish and irresponsible people taint what is a great village.

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Sue W (19th Feb 2009 - 11:29:47) Matt As you are fairly new here - you may not know that this subject has been raised about 4 times in the last year! Can no one do anything about this? Contact the Parish office - others have before and it has been cleared up!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - christi (20th Feb 2009 - 08:37:49) I know that the Rec is one of the worst places! I spend many a weekend morning clearing up other peoples dogs mess before the children can do their football practise! I have heard though that someone is employed by the Parish council to check the playing field and park every morning when the gates are opened? If this is the case then are the P/C responsible? I really dont understand though why dog owners do not pick up after their pets, it doesnt take much and it would save us who do not have dogs clearing up after them so the playing fields can be used for what it is intended......SPORT! Litter is another issue in the village and probably a new thread!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Darren (20th Feb 2009 - 14:43:02) Just to agree what a very selfish thing it is allowing your animal to foul in a public area. There is no excuse for it but unfortunately some people are just ignorant and lazy and appear not to care. I agree with the last post commenting on the increase in litter on Liphook streets. Perhaps I am unusual but I find it a real eye sore and actually pick up the litter left on my street (unfortunately by children who seem to have not been told by parents to put it in a bin, or are too lazy to do so) and don't understand others who would leave it outside there own door/boundary. As I say, maybe I'm unusual? I have reported some litter strewn areas to EHDC but maybe we should all start to take pride in our local enviroment and clean up our own street frontage and boundaries to keep Liphook looking good? Just a thought!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - P Weyland (20th Feb 2009 - 16:43:07) The worst part (in my opinion) is the footpath that runs from the Church Centre down along the fenceline of 'The Silent Garden'. As the path is quite thin and dogs are usually let off their collars once the walkers hit the footpath then its a nightmare to avoid. Some dog walkers are good at cleaning up on the pavement but think that anywhere else is 'fair game' It is the small minority and a very difficult problem to police.

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Sumi Olson (23rd Feb 2009 - 14:00:25) What a shame some dog owners spoil it for the rest of the community... I took my son to the recreation ground over half term - we came across three piles of dog mess just between malthouse meadows entrance and the play area by the library. There were children playing football & bike riding over the fields and about four/ five dogs with two sets of owners. Didn't see any sign of either owner clearing up after the dogs... Radford Park's fields are even worse. Why do these people have to be so selfish? It's great to have a place for the dogs to roam and I've no problems with the dogs themselves (love them) but really, can't someone do something about the owners...?!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - christi (24th Feb 2009 - 18:17:56) I dont think there is any hope of getting the few ignorant dog owners to clear up after their pet, I saw a man out walking his dog across a grassed area today where the dog did what was needed, the man then proceeded to walk away with no attempt to clear up. I called over to him and asked if he was going to and got told to F*** Off! Charming, really not the sort of behaviour you expect from an adult and especially as I had my 3 year old with me!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Sarah Morgan (25th Feb 2009 - 18:10:50) I constantly have to watch where I'm going with my pushchair. I find The Avenue near the school particularly bad. What is it with people? It really infuriates me. Some conscientious owner did clear their dog's mess up, using carrier bags. They then decided not to take them home to dispose of, they threw them over the fence into my back garden. Charming!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - claire (26th Feb 2009 - 09:17:20) Firstly, may I say I am a responsible dog owner who concientiously clears up after my pooch. I too am infuriated by lazy owners. I would like to see licencing re instituted for dog ownership. I think £150 per year (to include liability insurance) would be a great idea. The income could be spent on dog wardens, more bins and snatch sacks for 'forgetful' owners. £150 may also be enough to make people think really hard before getting a dog in the first place. Obviously there could be concessions for the elderly. Dogs are a longterm and costly committment and people should fully understand this before getting one. My neighbour delivered an offending 'pile' back to the owners of the dog and left it on the bonnet of their car!! Not to be recommended but very funny & effective!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - barbara (26th Feb 2009 - 12:43:01) I agree about dogs mess on the pavement but in my opinion cats leave a lot of mess too, although they do their business in someone else's garden. still annoying if they pick my garden. Also I have an issue with cats killing wild birds. A licence should also be charged to cat owners.

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - claire (26th Feb 2009 - 14:01:39) I agree Barbara, and some cat owners are as arrogant as their cats and do not see it as there problem when you approach them about it! I find a well aimed water hosepipe (and 70lbs of excited dog hurtling across the garden) a good deterent

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - christi (26th Feb 2009 - 16:03:44) Going back to the post title Dogs. I agree that the position of waste bins/wardens etc are a very good idea but unfortunately you still end up with the minority who just refuse to clear up and even if they do, often don't dispose of it correctly, leave it next to the bin or even go to the effort to tie the bag to a branch?! (never understood the logic in that one!) However, maybe if there were on the spot fines for these regular offenders or even just some consideration for others shouldn't be too much to ask for!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Julie Brimacombe (26th Feb 2009 - 23:55:45) Today 26th Feb have taken my grandson to London Rd. Recreation park. Swing area fine but then wanted to kick a football and run around in the football area. The dogs muck was just awful and I was fearful for my grandson's wellbeing. Young children are playing football on these fields at the weekends and this is what they are subjected to. There are too many irresponsible dog owners in Liphook. Do these dog owners realize that this MUCK can cause blindness. I have a friend who knows someone who has been blinded through dogs muck. It is serious. Would a dog owner like a member of their family to be blinded through lack of responsiblity to others in the community? Have a dog YOU MUST pick its muck up. If not, don't have one. The Mead, Tunbridge Crescent, Headley Rd. Haslemere Rd, Church Lane are all very bad. I have actually seen bags of dog muck even disgarded in the hedge rows!! Is this being responsible. There is a dog owner whose dog performs outside my house - I only need to catch them and I will probably be on the front page of the Liphook Hearld. That is how strongly I feel about dog's muck. Get a grip dog owners and pick it up.

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Phil MN (27th Feb 2009 - 21:37:15) I think we have it all wrong here. Live and let live. Those of us without dogs, and who enjoy a spot of walking, should personally defecate on the next footpath we encounter, and see what reaction we get from the dog walkers!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Alan Baker (4th Mar 2009 - 09:31:45) I see that a Liss man has been fined £80 for not clearing up after his dog. Maybe a few fines in the Liphook area will make dog owners think twice about turning a blind eye to their pets output. Alan

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Eneida (4th Mar 2009 - 10:21:38) What about the Street Watch scheme starting a separate division called Dog Watch, since dog poo is obviously upsetting a lot of people in Liphook? However as regards Cat Watch I think that would be rather tricky as volunteers would have to jump over fences and climb on roofs etc. and Health and Safety wouldn't like it!!!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Sumi Olson (28th Mar 2009 - 10:41:55) From the East Hampshire Council website - I've not seen these dog wardens myself (perhaps others have seen these illusive officials) but perhaps we could direct a warden to our current trouble spots? As Alan says, a few on the spot fines might make the apparent to these anti-social characters that what they are doing is actually breaking the law! Dog wardens are available between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday (although the dog wardens sometimes work outside office hours). They can be contacted on; 01730 234318 or 234319 E-mail: dogline@easthants.gov.uk Outside office hours between 5pm to 1am Monday to Friday and 9am to 1am on weekends and Bank Holidays a report of a lost or found dog can be made to ‘Lost Paws’ on 0870 609 1449. Dog Fouling More than 250,000 tonnes of dog faeces is deposited in the UK each year. Dog mess left in public places is unpleasant and offensive on school routes, children’s play areas and sports fields. Dog faeces can carry a dangerous disease called toxocariasis which can cause severe problems to children’s health. The law The Dogs (Fouling on Land) Act 1996 makes it an offence for a dog owner or walker not to remove their dog’s faeces from land to which the public have access. With very few exceptions, this applies to all public land within East Hampshire (the Act does not include private drives and gardens). The dog wardens regularly patrol the district and will issue anyone seen contravening the act with a fixed penalty fine of £50, as will other officers authorised to do so by the council. Offenders may be prosecuted and fined up to £1,000. If you see someone failing to clean up after their dog and you know the owner’s details, please report it to the dog warden. They will be written to and your name will not be mentioned. Should an offender who has already been written to commit a subsequent offence, the witness should come forward and the Council will consider prosecution. www.easthants.gov.uk/..dog fouling

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Sumi Olson (28th Mar 2009 - 15:26:34) Sorry. I know it's "elusive" and not "illusive" - blame solely on typo and careless re-reading. I hate bad grammar & punctuation but can hardly criticise if I produce gems like this myself! BTW - I've forwarded this thread to the dog warden's email address in the hope that they will take the initiative and step up patrols in the areas highlighted. With the good weather coming (I live in hope) and more children & adults using our outdoor areas, it's more important that wardens deal with these law-breaking, anti-social owners. If we take some direction action amongst ourselves and let the wardens know what's happening, I hope that we'll see an improvement to our environment as a result!

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - update - Sumi Olson (20th Apr 2009 - 13:28:41) Just wanted to update you on the dog fouling issue having received an email from our local warden today. Please note his request for information so his team can work on the complaint effectively. I think it'd help to highlight times and locations so that they can target their patrols. Between us, I'm sure we can make an impact on this disgusting problem. It's not the dogs at fault but the humans who are with them. We need to make a stand against these selfish and irresponsible people - it's a health issue for all of us and brings down the quality of life in the area... I was encouraged to read in the local paper recently that a chap from Liss was fined for not clearing up after his dog. Let's hope we can up the rate for Liphook & its surrounds. Response follows: ----------------------------------------------- Dear Mrs Olson, Thank you for your Email. We have indeed received a lot of reports about dog fouling in Liphook recently, especially in the areas that you have highlighted, but nobody seems to be aware who is responsible. I am sorry for the problems that you are experiencing and that your previous Email was not acknowledged. We do carry out occasional patrols but, as we have limited resources, this is not a very effective way of dealing with the problem. We really need people to report offenders if they know a name, address or car registration number. On the first report, we would write to an alleged offender and inform them of the legislation and that they have been witnessed breaking the law. Should they subsequently be seen offending and the witness is prepared to give a statement, we would consider prosecution if the evidence is sufficient. I submitted an article about dog fouling for the parish newsletter earlier this year and patrols have been carried out by the Dog Warden team in the District on 15th and 22nd January, 3rd and 26th March, 2nd and 6th April but no offences were witnessed under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996. Yours sincerely, Dave Griffiths Environmental Protection Officer(Animal Welfare/Pollution) East Hampshire District Council Penns Place Petersfield GU31 4EX Direct Tel: 01730 234319 Direct Fax: 01730 234330 Email: dave_griffiths@easthants.gov.uk -----------------------------------------

Re: Dogs and their messy owners - Philip Kedge (20th Apr 2009 - 21:23:00) Dear Residents, I write this post as a member of the Liphook Street Watch team. Street Watch is all about communities taking ownership of their local area and open spaces. It is about reducing anti-social behaviour and tackling the low level issues that impact on a community. The Dog Warden is correct that adhoc patrols will not produce a long term resolution. It is only a community that sets its own standards and takes pride in the local area that will make the difference. For those who feel strongly about this subject then Street Watch is very much what you should consider joining. Walk in pairs wearing high visibility jackets at the times that you choose to address the problem. Use the oppportunity to talk to dog owners and to promote responsible behaviour. If necessary, develop the information that can be sent to the Dog Warden for action. Talking about the problem will not solve it and relying on others will not be effective long term. If you want to bring about sustainable changes then get involved. There is a Street Watch meeting on the 23rd at 19.30 hrs Milennium Hall. The scheme is looking for 3 - 4 new members. You wil be very welcomed to join. Kind regards Phil Kedge

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