[T]own Councillor, Doug Lawson, and five volunteers from Penrith and Eden Green Party collected six bin bags of litter in just two hours in the Carleton area of Penrith on Saturday. Their haul included over 200 bags of dog poo!
The local Green Party recently conducted a survey of issues affecting residents in the Carleton ward which revealed that one of the most frequently raised concerns was dog-owners who dump bags of dog poo. So, on Easter Saturday, a team of volunteers ventured on to the streets of Carleton to assess the scale of the problem and clean it up.
“We were truly shocked by the number of dog poo bags we found, said Town Councillor Doug Lawson. “It is beyond comprehension that so many people go to the trouble of picking up their dog’s mess, and then just leave the bag lying as litter.”
“We found four bags dumped at one lamp-post near Carleton Heights, as if the place where dogs wee is somehow an acceptable place to dump poo bags. Just who do these people think should be picking up their dogs’ foul waste?
“Many bags are also left discarded right next to dog poo bins. But inexplicably, people seem to think it is a good idea to throw them into hedges, streams or even leave them on walls. Most of the plastic bags that are used will not break down, leaving a blight on our town and parks for years to come.”
Doug Lawson will be working within the Town Council to ensure that more dog poo bins are provided in the areas that need them and that they are emptied regularly.
Penrith and Eden Green Party is calling on people to dispose of dog poo responsibly and, if there is not a bin available, to take their poo bags home.
Speaking on behalf of the local Green Party, Doug Lawson said: “People who dump their poo bags give all dog-owners a bad name. It is also illegal!
“If you know of particular areas where dog poo bags are regularly being dumped – or if you know who is doing it – you should report it to the Eden District Council Community Warden on email: [email protected] or phone: 01768 212490. If people start getting fined, hopefully they will think twice about doing it again.”
