Bedford Borough Council says irresponsible dog owners who don’t pick up after their dogs, and therefore put children at risk from blindness, are getting away with it because people who see it happening don’t want to give witness statements.
The council believes part of the problem is because witnesses don’t want to go to court – where their identity would be revealed to the person they have complained about.
This means irresponsible dog owners are then getting away with leaving dog mess lying around even if there’s a “perfect description” or video footage.
Dog mess left on the ground can leave the area contaminated with worm eggs for a few weeks or months. If humans come into contact with these eggs it can cause Toxocariasis which can lead to blindness.
A response to a Freedom of Information request showed that the number of fixed penalty notices (FPN) for not picking up after their dog matched the number of times a council officer witnessed the offence.
Last year, there were 55 complaints but only two FPNs were issued, and in 2022, there were 14 FPNs, and 14 incidents witnessed by council officers
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked the council why Bedfordians should bother reporting the issue, and how witnesses can provide the information needed to make a FPN more likely.
A council spokesperson said: “Fixed Penalty Notices are issued by our Enforcement Officers for littering, fly-tipping, spitting, urinating, cycling in a restricted area and dog control order offences.
“Reports from residents, along with our own intelligence, allow us to be aware of hot spots in Bedford Borough. We then consider how best to deploy our resources and send our Enforcement Officers to where they are most likely to witness an offence.
“A number of these reports are that there is fouling on the ground and a need for cleansing rather than any details of the offender. In these cases, we would not expect to be able to issue a FPN.
“The most common reason for a report with details on an offender not leading to a FPN, is the lack of a witness statement following the report.
“Even if we are provided with a perfect description, video footage, and/or the offender’s full name in the initial report we cannot issue an FPN without a witness statement.
“We often find that people who report dog fouling choose not to provide a witness statement as it could potentially be used in court and they may be called as a witness.
“During court proceedings, the offender would also learn the name of the person who reported them,” they said.
Toxocariasis
The Dogs Trust said it believes the “vast majority” of dog owners are responsible and pick up their dog’s mess when out and about.
And it “fully supports” measures put in place by local authorities to help ensure that public spaces can be enjoyed by everyone.
“When it comes to dog fouling, we would always encourage owners to pick up after their dog and be considerate of their local community,” a Dogs Trust spokesperson said.
“We work closely with local authorities and provide free boxes of poo bags, posters and leaflets, to encourage responsible dog ownership and the importance of picking up after your dog.”
Dog faeces can cause Toxocariasis, an infection which can affect anyone but is mostly dangerous for children between 18 months and five years old.
If you believe you have swallowed soil, sand or animal poo and have a high temperature, a cough, wheezing, a stomach ache, an itchy rash, red or painful eye changes to their sight (e.g. seeing small dots, lines or flashes), loss of vision, call 111 or get help from 111 online.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
Additional reporting by Paul Hutchinson
Bedford Independent
