This is all very well, but if no-one sees the person allowing his/her dog to foul without picking it up, how is enforcement to happen? Are there sufficient enforcement personnel to make this anything other than a pipe-dream? There have been notices prohibiting 'dog fouling' and threatening fines for violators in many parts of Nairn ever since I came to live here (mid-2000) and I have never heard of a fine being imposed.
I agree this regulation needs to exist, because perhaps it might make at least some behave as decent citizens through social suasion, but let's not kid ourselves that without genuine enforcement (and at least a few people being made an example of through fines and/or 'naming and shaming') that it will go anywhere near to eliminating the problem.
As a former dog owner (she died almost 2 years ago) I always cleaned up after my dog, but my observations have shown me that human nature plays a negative role - if people know they are being observed when their dog fouls, they will clean up; pretty often, however, if they believe they are not being observed they will not bother. Where I live in Nairn gives me, for better or worse, the opportunity to observe dog-walkers over considerable distances and in some of the most popular dog-walking areas of Nairn and I have observed both phenomena many, many times both amongst regular dog-walkers whom I see often (presumably Nairn residents) and amongst those who probably visit from elsewhere occasionally/once. I have, when out with my own dog, on a few occasions attempted to remind people to clear up their dog mess when I have seen it happening, only to be subjected to a torrent of verbal abuse, although a few guiltily complied; mostly I tend to pretend not to see - cowardly, yes, but self-preservation comes first.
"Gurn apology, we thought a dog-turd was worth £50"
if that was the case i would abandon looking for golf balls for extra cash and hunt down doggie doo's i dont know what the going price is for them in Pat Frasers.
This is all very well, but if no-one sees the person allowing his/her dog to foul without picking it up, how is enforcement to happen? Are there sufficient enforcement personnel to make this anything other than a pipe-dream? There have been notices prohibiting 'dog fouling' and threatening fines for violators in many parts of Nairn ever since I came to live here (mid-2000) and I have never heard of a fine being imposed.
ReplyDeleteI agree this regulation needs to exist, because perhaps it might make at least some behave as decent citizens through social suasion, but let's not kid ourselves that without genuine enforcement (and at least a few people being made an example of through fines and/or 'naming and shaming') that it will go anywhere near to eliminating the problem.
As a former dog owner (she died almost 2 years ago) I always cleaned up after my dog, but my observations have shown me that human nature plays a negative role - if people know they are being observed when their dog fouls, they will clean up; pretty often, however, if they believe they are not being observed they will not bother. Where I live in Nairn gives me, for better or worse, the opportunity to observe dog-walkers over considerable distances and in some of the most popular dog-walking areas of Nairn and I have observed both phenomena many, many times both amongst regular dog-walkers whom I see often (presumably Nairn residents) and amongst those who probably visit from elsewhere occasionally/once. I have, when out with my own dog, on a few occasions attempted to remind people to clear up their dog mess when I have seen it happening, only to be subjected to a torrent of verbal abuse, although a few guiltily complied; mostly I tend to pretend not to see - cowardly, yes, but self-preservation comes first.
Sorry for the length of my rant - lol :)
"Gurn apology, we thought a dog-turd was worth £50"
ReplyDeleteif that was the case i would abandon looking for golf balls for extra cash and hunt down doggie doo's i dont know what the going price is for them in Pat Frasers.