£3,530 in FINES Issued to Irresponsible Dog Owners

Written by on 14th March 2022

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is continuing its crackdown on irresponsible dog owners and over 200 owners have been given a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice to walk home with!

In February, during their regular patrols of the County Borough, the enforcement teams issued 17, £100 Fixed Penalty Notices (£1,700) to irresponsible dog owners who were caught, red handed breaching the rules of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

The message from the Council is clear – if an irresponsible dog owner is found breaching the rules of the PSPO, the Council will take action and they will receive a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

In October 2017 the Council was one of the first Local Authorities to introduce strict rules in terms of dog controls, when it put in place a PSPO. Due to the success of this order, it was extended in November 2020 to continue tackling this disgusting and unsightly issue.

One of the key concerns the PSPO addressed was dog fouling on sports fields – even if the fouling is picked up, remnants of it will remain on the grass and soil, which is not only disgusting but could also have serious life-changing health consequences.

Some irresponsible dog owners decide not to pay the initial £100 FPN and face court action being taken – ultimately ending up with some very costly walkies, as the below offenders have discovered. Their details could also be publicised on the Council’s website and Social Media channels.

In February SIX people were sent to court for their actions, these included:

  • A woman from Talbot Green allowed the dog she was in charge of to go onto a restricted area at Talbot Green recreation ground! This cost her £214!

 

  • A man from Talbot Green was also caught in the same area allowing his dog to go onto the same restricted area at Talbot Green recreation ground – he walked home with a £374 FINE!
  • A woman from Penderyn allowed her dog to go onto a restricted area at the Ynys recreation ground, Aberdare. She’s now £194 lighter following her actions.
  • A woman from Mountain Ash failed to pick up and dispose of her dogs mess. She received a stinky £300 FINE!
  • A woman from Llantwit Fardre allowed her dog to go onto a restricted and well used area at Mount Pleasant Park, Beddau! She was sent home from court with a £374 FINE!
  • A woman from Aberaman failed to pick up her dogs mess at the much loved Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd! She left court with £374 FINE!

That’s a total in court fines, costs and victim surcharges of £1,830 – all of which could have been avoided if they had followed the rules that are set out under the PSPO for the safety of the public.

In a bid to raise awareness and make irresponsible dog owner ‘SIT’ up and take notice, TWO simple messages have been stencilled in key locations across Rhondda Cynon Taf, including local schools and community centres.

The messages are simple ‘NO DOG FOULING’ and ‘NO DOGS ON PITCHES’ and are part of the overall campaign to take action to crack down on those who ignore the rules set out in the PSPO, in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Councillor Ann Crimmings, Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure & Heritage Services, said:

“We’re committed to tackling irresponsible dog owners and have invested over £40,000 in improving facilities across RCT. There are over 1500 red dog bins in RCT in key hot spots/known dog walking routes, so there is no excuse not to bag it and bin it!”

“The latest convictions once again demonstrates the Council’s dedication to tackling dog fouling issues – if an irresponsible dog owner is found breaching the rules of the PSPO we will take action and issue a £100 fine. Failure to pay this, could lead to court action being taken, a large fine and a criminal record, as these irresponsible dog owners have now found out.

“The vast majority of dog owners are responsible but unfortunately some dog owners don’t seem to realise that failing to clear up after their dog’s mess in public places is illegal. It’s a dirty eyesore on our County Borough as well as having serious health implications for the community and we must do all we can to eradicate this problem

“After receiving complaints from local residents and seeing the problem for myself in some areas, the Enforcement team are now further increasing their presence to tackle the issue on the streets across the County Borough in a bid to catch those responsible for the disgusting mess.

“The PSPO rules were introduced after residents told the Council they wanted to see action taken to tackle irresponsible dog owners – including areas such as play areas used by children and marked pitches where residents enjoy playing sports.

“The Council would rather see a clean County Borough and dog walkers acting responsibly rather than issue fines – which could have easily been avoided if we follow the clear messages, follow the rules and act responsibly – they are there to protect everyone who want to enjoy out beautiful County Borough.”

In the last year the Council has issued over 1030 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to those who have been caught littering, fly-tipping, breaking the PSPO and failing to control their waste in Rhondda Cynon Taf. All the revenue generated from the FPNs is invested back in frontline services to further improve our County Borough and respond to the priority issues our residents have identified.

For more information on the dog fouling rules in Rhondda Cynon Taf visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/DogFouling.


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