Dog fouling fines in Dudley could double to £100
Dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets in the Dudley borough could be fined up to £100 – double the current maximum rate.
Council bosses hope the tougher penalties in the proposed new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) will act as a 'deterrent'.
The new order would also stop dogs being allowed in children’s play areas, with similar punishment for owners caught flouting the regulations.
The maximum fine is currently £50.
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environmental services, said that she hoped the tougher penalties would act as a 'deterrent'.
She explained: “We know from the amount of complaints we get that dog fouling remains an emotive issue for a lot of residents in the borough, many of them dog owners themselves.
“The local authority has a duty to ensure that our public spaces are cleaner, greener and safe for all to enjoy.
“We hope that introducing tougher penalties for irresponsible dog owners caught not cleaning up after their pets will act as a deterrent.
“In the past three years, from April 2014 to April this year, Dudley Council received nearly 1,500 complaints about dog fouling.”
An online survey has already launched with residents given the chance to have their say.
The consultation will ask four questions – whether residents support officers insisting that dog owners pick up after animals on open land with public access, and whether they support fixed penalty notices of up to £100.
It also asks people if they are in favour of insisting dogs are kept out of children’s play areas, and whether they support penalties of up to £100 for owners who fail to remove dogs from a play area when asked.
The PSPO, if introduced, would replace all existing dog control legislation in the borough.
It lasts for a maximum period of three years, after which it can be renewed for another three years if required.
A breach of a PSPO is an offence punishable by a way of a fixed penalty notice or prosecution in the magistrate’s court.
Last year, council bosses introduced spray painting warning messages in parks to tackle dog mess.
Parks in Wall Heath and Kingswinford were used to pilot the scheme after being noted as dog fouling hot spots.
