Increase in dog fouling noted during Covid-19 pandemic

Dog fouling has become a “big issue” over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to one county councillor.

Cllr John Clendennen said the local authority needed to do some sort of communication around the issue. “Perhaps, we need to get the message out there as well whether it be with dog wardens or numbers to call because there is a public safety element to this and also an environmental issue. It is something we need to be on top of at this current time,” he remarked.

Mary Hussey, Senior Engineer with Environment & Water Services, Offaly County Council, agreed that it was “more of an issue now because more people are out walking their dogs and we are all out walking a bit more then we were before”. According to the Senior Engineer, the council were working on an education piece on this issue at the moment.

“If there's a particularly bad area, particularly in a town, we can look into this in conjunction with the area office, and put in bins or bags..... We can look at that,” she concluded.