In this weeks post we are tackling a topic that will surprise you because it is not normally thought of as a particular concern of professional private investigators in their day-to-day jobs.
Private Investigators tackle dog fouling – The problem is Dog Poo.
Dog fouling is a problem because with the inevitable, inadvertent step in it (come on, admit it, we’ve all stepped in it at least once and been very annoyed as we’ve trailed it through the house) there is an increased risk of the spread of diseases such as different types of Worms and Parvo. Of course it is also very smelly and unsightly.
There 9 million pet dogs in the UK according to the Pet Food Manufactures Association, with approximately 24% of households owning one. Not everyone is an animal lover, however, there are a lot of people who love animals enough to keep them as pets, especially dogs. There are many fewer people that like their dogs poo. You can tell this because it’s often left on the pavements and grass verges in our streets, parks and beaches for unsuspecting children and even adults to step in.
It has been reported that one town council in England has now decided that it is so sick of receiving complaints about dog poo on their streets, that they are considering using private investigators to trace the culprits owners so that they can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The role of private investigators will be to target problem areas at certain times, gathering evidence and then issuing summons to the culprits owners. Although Axbridge may be the first town in the UK to do this, Madrid embarked on a similar plan last year.
There is a law in place that already allows councils to issue on the spot fines to the owners that don’t clean up after their dogs. Some councils go even further by stating that the person walking the dog must be carrying the items needed to clean up the poo, such as a pooper scooper and plastic bags. Even though the fine is usually between £50 and £80 it can become a fine of £1,000 if the fine is not paid promptly.
Unfortunately dog fouling is still a problem in many areas. You should report dog fouling problems to your local council.
Alpha 1 Legal Services support the actions of Councils who aim to eradicate the issue of problem dog fouling.
