Inishowen community group cracking down on dog waste and littering
An Inishowen community group is redoubling its efforts to tackle dog waste and littering.
According to the Moville Tidy Towns committee, the Foyleside town has seen an increase in dog fouling in public places.
The popular Moville Shore Path and Bath Green have been identified as two problematic areas for ongoing dog fouling. As a result the Tidy Towns committee have decided to focus their efforts on this as part of its Leave No Trace Campaign to tackle this issue.
“Dog fouling is an environmental issue as well as a health and safety issue, posing a risk to humans and other animals alike,” a Moville Tidy Towns spokesperson said.
The group has liaised with Donegal County Council's Litter Warden to try and prevent future dog fouling in Moville. Free dog waste bags are available at the beginning of the Shore Walk adjacent to the Children’s play park and at Lafferty's Lane courtesy of Donegal County Council.
One additional issue identified by the local Litter Warden is the theft of all dog bags on a recurring basis.
“Our local Litter Warden will continue to conduct patrols of the Moville area to discourage dog fouling and to enforce the law where applicable,” the spokesperson said.
Moville Tidy Towns has installed new fun signage in dog fouling hotspots to help communicate the issue and, hopefully, to prevent future instances.
“We have also bought eco-friendly dog waste bag holders and lanyards which we will distribute for free to dog walkers/owners over the coming weeks.
“The holders are made from sustainable bamboo fibres and can be used with compostable dog waste bag rolls. Our hope is that the holders will help to ensure that dog walkers/owners have a constant supply of waste bags when out on a walk to pick up after their dog and to prevent this type of littering from occurring.”
To receive a free lanyard, bag holder and roll of bags, please call into Moville Family Resource Centre and pick one up. They are located in Market Square between The Cosy Cottage and Susie’s Bar, and are open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.
Alternatively, you can meet Tidy Town volunteers any Saturday morning at 8.30am in Market Square and collect one here.
Dog walkers/owners are also reminded to follow through and ensure they place bagged dog waste into any of the public bins in the town and along the Green and Shore.