Forum Topic

Pooch Poop Scoop Cops

What are we to make of this?“The proposed PSPO includes a requirement that anyone walking a dog in any public must be able to show an authorised officer a poop scoop or disposable bag on request. If they fail to do so, they could be liable to a £100 fine and if they don’t pay withing 14 days they may face prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.”

Russell Pearson ● 1191d36 Comments

It's an improvement but not sufficient. Picking up is one thing, but what about dealing with the skid mark left? Or perhaps they leave their loos at home in a similar state?

John Hall ● 1191d

I’m not sure hanging a plastic bag on a tree or throwing it in a bin is much improvement on leaving doggy dirt to decay naturally like in the old days.

Peter Evans ● 1191d

Ah those halcyon days when the streets were paved with dog turds. Jumpers for goalposts. Ahhhh.

Paul Campbell ● 1191d

It is a very bad move indeed because it is driven by the need for the council to raise revenue. Little old ladies with small dogs will be subject to stop and search for poop bags by council enforcement officers paid just above the minimum wage aware that their continued employment depends on issue a target number of PCNs. Meanwhile muscle-bound shaven headed owners of dogs clearly bred to fight will be allowed to let their animal defecate where they want unchallenged.

Francis Rowe ● 1191d

The fact is you can bring in all the regulations you like without feet on the street and the warranted authority to enforce any of this, it is all a waste of time as far as I can see. Anyway there is a a technical problem with Hounslow's consultation platform that makes it unlikely anyone can comment for some time yet! Dog's faces can carry Toxocara Canis ,and if that gets into the soil it can have nasty consequences for people, so there is a serious side to this. Perhaps one day the powers that be might 'get it' that you cannot legislate for idiots, so the irresponsible - will just carry on being irresponsible.

Vanessa Smith ● 1191d

Powers already exist to tackle this problem. What the council wants to do is extend them but not to deal with the issue. What will happen is that the enforcement officers will be based in the office behind the Town Hall, they will roll out in the morning onto Turnham Green, fine a few soft targets, and then go back for their lunch, to repeat the process in the afternoon.

Francis Rowe ● 1191d

They won't be out early enough to catch most of the offenders who look the other way (or at their iPhones) when Luna, Lola or Milo are doing their business in our parks.

Gordon McDonald ● 1191d

As I understand it Stamford Brook Common is just that, a common therefore LBH have no legal authority to ban dog walkers.

Adrian Irving ● 1191d

So fox poo is different in some way ?

Janice Evans ● 1191d

Offending dog owners should be given the cat.

Roger Talbot ● 1191d

Toxocariasis is an infection caused by small worms found in the poo of some dogs, cats and foxes. It's rare, but can sometimes cause serious problems.Toxocariasis is a roundworm, also known as nematode, that rarely causes clinical problems. However, it does have the potential to cause blindness or meningoencephalitis. Two main species of Toxocara affect humans: Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. Hosts include cats, dogs, foxes, coyotes, and wolves.We always clear all the cat faeces up in our garden, and regularly worm puss, as dog owners should also do. Really basic hygiene where pets are concerned should be the norm.

Vanessa Smith ● 1191d

My cat just had his booster, claws trimmed and purchased 3 monthflea and wormer £108.00 is really not expensive to keep everyone safefrom this infection.

Janice Evans ● 1191d

Well it could be at times like this, the flea medicine has gone up in price and people need to take on board vets fees and annual vaccinations.

Vanessa Smith ● 1191d

Yes some have given up their pets but better to do that if they cannotcare for them.

Janice Evans ● 1191d

Francis makes some good points here. I wonder if they will be issuing fines for what PK Dick called a “precrime”?‘The term precrime embodies a temporal paradox, suggesting both that a crime has not yet occurred and that it is a foregone conclusion.’

Russell Pearson ● 1190d

Yes, Francis makes some good points and it’s true that the enforcement officers, and even the police, are too scared to confront the shaved head thugs whose dogs are out of control. However, it’s a start and if little old ladies, or even younger irresponsible people, are too bone idle to pick up their dog mess, I have no problem with them being fined heavily. It’s a start because the issue is out of control. Too many irresponsible people took on pets during Covid.

Steve Taylor ● 1190d

Thanks for acknowledging that I have made some key points Steve but you have missed perhaps most the important one namely this order would give council enforcement officers the power to stop someone with a dog in a public place and demand that the produce a poop bag. Is further explanation required why this isn't a good thing?

Francis Rowe ● 1190d

Hi Francis. Yes I read what you said very carefully but I think where we differ fundamentally is that I am very much in favour of stop and search on all levels. I acknowledge that some people may be targeted but my feeling is that, if they are found to be behaving against legislation, they must suffer the consequences. I am also not opposed to the possible working practices officers may adopt to achieve their targets as it will increase revenue for the Council which is surely better for every law abiding citizen?  I do, however, respect your view.

Steve Taylor ● 1190d

To be honest I don’t see any dog poo walking around chiswick with our dog. Occasionally I see a bag hung on a fence which is appalling hardly think this is an issue given everything else which is far more important.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1190d

I think you may find that no council officer warranted or not would have the legal power to demand production of a waste bag or your name, well, they can ask but you do not have to comply. Those powers stay with the police, and if anyone in their right mind seriously think the police have the manpower and time to faff around with this - then they are seriously bonkers. Something else some consultant (probably) or officious council officer has dreamed up without checking their facts. As it happens the consultation hub on Hounslow's website has been suspended for sometime, and could be out of action for a while yet, so quite why Hounslow have advertised this now when no-one can participate is a mystery!

Vanessa Smith ● 1190d

I have been reading all the comments re picking up dog poop. Has nobody noticed that our parks and local flower Gardens  especially Twyford Crescent Gardens  are being used as lavatories by passing  males and those sitting on benches  all day long  too They even pee where they are sitting. In this hot weather ,taking a leisurely stroll with my well trained rescue dog,  plus poo bags,  the stench has been intolerable  They do not have poop bags . How about apportioning some blame to these people  ? The food consumed during the day is only half eaten and the rest left chucked under the benches complete with cans and bottles and nitrous oxide tubes. We need officers sorting this out before waylaying dog walkers. Incidently,  most dogs have worming and flea treatment on a regular basis along with their other injections.

Beryl Bashford ● 1188d

Couldn't agree with you more, Beryl.

Claire Moran ● 1188d

Beryl, you're spot on, but I just add about the rough sleepers on Chiswick High Road in the empty shop doorways leaving all manner of detritus, and last but not least Smokers dumping their cigarette butts wherever they please - it's this last category who should be fined!

Loraine Pemberton ● 1188d

Beryl makes a good point but I think the problem is that the men pissing in the parks are mainly addicts, homeless and scum youths. The Council stands little or no chance of collecting any fines from them. However, dogs are fairly expensive to keep and maintain so dog owners would presumably be somewhat more affluent than the men/boys who are urinating and littering in our public spaces. The money is in targeting the irresponsible dog owners. Although it could also be lazy, irresponsible ‘professional’ dog walkers!

Steve Taylor ● 1188d

I saw a smoker this morning ignore a nearby bin and drop his litter in the basket of a parked Lime bike.

Richard Greenhough ● 1188d

It will be interesting to see the outcome of the Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

Steve Taylor ● 1188d

Perhaps more interesting is that the results of a consultation held in January don't seem to have been published yet.That could suggest that council's attempt to expand its powers to fine residents came up against legal problems.On the other hand, would Hounslow have initiated their own consultation if the H&F one had hit the rocks.

Francis Rowe ● 1187d

I do hope this is the case. I live by SB common and the dogWalkers there are very diligent- they always pick up the poop and I have seen them with more than the legal limit of four dogs apiece. They are only therefor an hour or so anyway.  I understand there is quite a strong local lobby against having dog walkers at all in the area, the NIMBYs are really out in force.

Sarah Potter ● 1187d

Yes some of those people in the parks and gardens are as you say but what is annoying is those who are just passing through and pee and defacate. . The Council cut down all the  flowering shrubs behind the  benches after our Community complained to them about this. Shame to see them go . Sadly has not deterred the bench hoggers. People living in the local flats can no longer enjoy summer in their local park. I was not thinking in terms of fines though. Thinking  more about Met. patrol to catch them at it and send them packing with a warning. Worked years ago when we had that happening . Not knowing when the Met. might appear scared them off .

Beryl Bashford ● 1186d

Entirely agree with you .Also most annoying is to see the Japanese mothers let their children pick the seasonal flowers by the handful and then discard them before going home. I try to save the ones with bits of  stalks and take them home and arrange them in a saucer.  The roses are  being attacked at the moment. So sad.

Beryl Bashford ● 1186d

From what people are experiencing on this thread dogs clearly are NOT the issue 😂😂😂 just another attempt by Hounslow council to target people for more fines = revenue. What has our society become totally intolerant, more nanny state = just greed by the council. They should just be honest and put up council tax.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1186d

Imagine if you’d said Jewish mothers, Nigerian mothers, English mothers, Irish mothers, Chiswick mothers….It’s about parenting not about where you perceive mothers to come from.

Stewart Jones ● 1186d

True sadly parenting seems to have gone south

Jayne Thorburn ● 1186d

That is not what I said. There have always been parents who lack some skills and need help. To single out Japanese mothers is at the very least xenophobic.

Stewart Jones ● 1186d

I made no reference to Japanese mothers think you are responding to Beryl’s post 🤔🤔🤔🤔

Jayne Thorburn ● 1186d

I was indeed

Stewart Jones ● 1186d