We're watching you - council clamps down on dog fouling
Residents across Brighton & Hove will wake up to a new campaign on Friday morning as the council takes action to tackle the long standing problem of dog fouling in the city.
On Thursday night staff from Cityclean will be out and about putting up eye catching campaign posters –complete with luminous eyes! The watching eyes, which shine in the dark, are designed to act as a deterrent to dog owners reminding them to clean up after their pets.
The ‘We’re watching you’ campaign, (#we’re watching you) was launched in other areas of the country last year by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, and sets it sights on irresponsible dog owners. The campaign saw an average reduction of 46% in the levels of dog fouling.
Environment council Gill Mitchell explained: “Most incidents of dog fouling happen after dark when some dog owners feel that they can’t be seen. We hope these luminous posters will act as a deterrent, and encourage those irresponsible dog owners to pick up after their pets.”
Staff will also be putting up Keep Britain Tidy group’s ‘Dog Poo Fairy posters’ in parks and other locations reminding dog owners of their responsibilities. Residents are being encouraged to report incidents of dog fouling.
When dog fouling is cleared from pavements, street cleaners will mark the spot with a washable stencil. These stencils aim to send a message that dog fouling will not be tolerated and also reassure residents that their complaints are being dealt with.
Whilst the campaign aims to raise awareness and change behaviour, dog owners are reminded that enforcement officers from 3GS are able to issue on the spot fines to offenders.
Cllr Mitchell added: “Dog fouling is a major concern for many of our residents so we are very pleased to be working with Keep Britain Tidy, on this campaign.
“Other local authorities which ran the campaign have seen incidents of dog fouling almost halve, so we are hoping to see similar results here in Brighton & Hove.”
The campaign runs alongside the national Great British Spring Clean event (organised by Keep Britain Tidy) which will sees communities getting together to clean up their neighbourhoods.
To report dog fouling telephone Cityclean on 01273 292929