Dog fouling and nuisance dogs

During debate on a motion about dog fouling and nuisance dogs, the Labour Party was very dismissive about the genuine concerns of people in Parklands Ward on this subject. Here's what Councillor Pauline Allen said :

I've had several dogs over the past 40 years, and both of my grandmothers had dogs when I was a child so I grew up knowing how a loved and cared for dog can bring a lot of happiness to a family. Mind you I am aware of the other side of dog ownership as delivering Focus leaflets for 35 years has left me with many scars on my hands as I've been bitten quite a few times. But to be fair to dogs I have also been scratched by a cat once whilst I was delivering in Lemington.

Those of you who don't have a dog may believe that all dogs are the same and that they just leave a mess on the footpaths and grassed areas, or run wild and attack people. But this is far from the truth. All of my dogs have been different in just about every way except that they were dogs; one could walk anywhere with me without being on a lead and he was never any bother while others have needed to be on leads and under closer supervision. How a dog acts can be down to a number of factors, such as what breed it is, how well it was trained and how it was treated as a puppy.

What responsible dog owners will all agree on is that everyone needs to clear up after their dogs, whether from footpaths or grassed areas, and that care needs to be taken where dogs are exercised. Let's be honest it isn't pleasant cleaning up dog mess, but if I can do it anyone can. And responsible dog owners do recognise that it shouldn't be left for children to play in, or people to walk in and by the way dogs don't like standing in it either. But there should be sufficient bins for the poop bags to be deposited in and in some places it would help if there were signs reminding those who are not so responsible that they have a duty to clear up after their dogs. In some places these signs incorporate a poop bag dispenser; perhaps this is something that we could look at providing in the city.

The unfortunate thing about debates about dogs and the problems that some owners cause, and note that I said some owners cause not some dogs, is that it is forgotten just how much we rely upon dogs. Dogs are known as Man's Best Friend because their value has long been recognised; our ancestors used them to hunt for food as well as for protection, and we use them to help us in many ways such as for security, detection of drugs or explosives and for search and rescue missions. And also to help those who have certain medical conditions. We all know about guide dogs and hearing dogs but there are also dogs that are trained to detect when their owner is about to have an epileptic fit. Some dogs have also been trained to help load and unload the washer and to use the cashpoint machine when their owner needs help.

I believe that more should be done to educate children and families about the responsibilities and commitment involved in dog ownership. Organisations such as the Dogs Trust, of which I am a supporter, offer free workshops to schools as they believe that by educating young people in particular the number of dogs that are mistreated and abandoned can be reduced and that safety around dogs can be increased something I'm sure that we'd all agree with. Perhaps the city council could promote this.

Most dog owners are responsible and care for their family friend but the minority of dog owners who don't take care of their dogs and who don't care what their dogs do to others, whether human or animal, annoy most responsible dog owners. Our aim should be to encourage all dog owners to act responsibly. So I ask council to do everything possible to make this happen.