By Alan Healy
A Derry primary and nursery school has appealed to dog walkers to clean up after their pets due to growing concerns over young children being forced to walk through animal faeces on a daily basis.
The issue came to light after the Derry News was contacted by the parent of child attending Rosemount Primary and Nursery School, which is located at Helen Street, just off the Creggan Road in Derry.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, said that the problem with dog fouling on streets outside the school is now so bad that it is ‘impossible to avoid’.
Nursery are having to walk thought Dog Faeces on a daily basis and are carrying it on their feet into the school & Nursery.
“It is impossible to avoid, as it is from one end of the street to the other and on both sides,” she told the Derry News.
“The situation is atrocious as parents and their children are having to walk through dog faeces on a daily basis and the children are carrying it into the school on their feet.
“This is extremely dangerous for these children, and apart from the fact that dog fouling is a nuisance, it's associated with various diseases including toxocara canis (an infection which can damage children’s eyesight).”
The woman also called on Derry City and Strabane Council to clamp down on those who fail to clean up after their pet has fouled in public.
The Derry News contacted Rosemount Primary and Nursery School about the issue, who said that it had taken steps to make children ‘aware’ of the issue.
A spokesperson for the school also appealed to people walking their dogs in streets close to the school to ensure the area remained free of dog fouling.
“We would ask people who are out walking their dogs to be mindful of the fact that a large number of young children are walking on these streets after them,” the spokesperson said.
“We would therefore ask them to ensure they clean up after their dogs.”
The spokesperson added that the issue would also be included in the next school newsletter.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council confirmed that it is aware of the ongoing issue with dog fouling complaints in the Rosemount area, and that number of measures such as CCTV have been introduced to tackle the problem.
“These include increased patrols by dog wardens, the introduction of street signage to raise awareness about penalties for illegal dumping and dog fouling, as well as a pilot mobile CCTV scheme to deter such environmental crime and hopefully assist in identifying the culprits,” the spokesperson said.
“These mobile cameras are periodically changed to different locations in the Rosemount area.
“We continue to review the situation and will consider adopting additional measures following a full report on the pilot scheme which will be brought before Council in the coming months.”
The spokesperson added that while the majority of dog owners do clean up after their pets, there were still those who showed a ‘blatant disregard to their local community’.
“Dog owners are reminded that it is an offence to fail to clean up their dog’s mess, allow pets to foul pavements and fines of £80 will be imposed on anyone who is caught,” the spokesperson added.
“If the fixed penalty notice is paid within 14 days, the fine will be reduced to £50.
“We wish to acknowledge that the majority of dog owners do clean up after their dogs however some irresponsible dog owners show a blatant disregard to their local community by failing to do so.”
“We seek the support of local residents as dog foul is both a health hazard and a serious nuisance.
“Anyone who witnesses incidents of dog fouling can report them by contacting the Council directly on 028 71253253 or email dogcontrol@derrystrabane.com.”
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