Absolute Sh1t

skeg16

I've started a new job in D2 and I walk from bachelors every morning to pearse st and the biggest thing Ive noticed is the amount of dog sh1t on the paths and roads that has been smushed inot the ground.

Every morning without fail, I see at least 1 dirty pile of dog muck on my travels and I just pray that it will never be my shoe that has to be cleaned!!!!

Is there no cameras in the city that can catch the owners, fair enough some of the dogs may be on their own and off their leash but at least we can catch the owners who are unmannerly enough no to clean up after their dog!!!

Any1 else having the same tip-toe-ing feeling in the city???

Love2love

Its absolutely disgusting. I walk up Sandwith Street (off Pearse Street) twice a day and I am sick of dodging it. On one stretch of footpath there can be up to 10 piles. Its very difficult to push a pram and dodge it and I look pretty foolish trying to. If you aren't going to clean up after your dog - you shouldnt have one. Simple.

skeg16

Ha, that's exactly the street I was referring too....disgraceful

yosser hughes

Funny you should mention this. I was walking down Francis street yesterday and couldn't get over the amount of dog ****. It is disgusting.
You do see some people cleaning up after their dogs but most don't seem to give a toss. It probably discourages those who do. We have no civic pride in this country.

OldBean

Stoneybatter is smothered in dog sh*t.

iDave

I used to live on Philipsburgh Ave in Fairview and that was a complete blackspot for it but i do think its a Dublin wide problem

Lawrence1895

Same on Clanbrassil Street/New Street South. Shop and restaurant owners should be kind of responsible to clean the footpath in front of their house (and be provided by free litter bags in exchange), since many dog owners seem to give a toss about the mess, their pets leave behind.

John Mason

Erne street is the same

SubBusted

Could be worse, imagine being in a wheelchair and getting that stuff on your hands.

Konata

I've noticed it a lot lately on the Clonliffe Road. Makes the walk to the bus a bit of a pain.

two wheels good

Well, why not send off a email to Dublin Councillors?
Request that they send the litter warden round to issue a few fines. They just might make a difference

flanzer

It's never policed properly. Dogs should be confiscated off their owners if caught. You wouldn't see it in any city in the world

emmbaasee

flanzer wrote: »

It's never policed properly. Dogs should be confiscated off their owners if caught. You wouldn't see it in any city in the world

Come on now !
It's by no means unique to Ireland
If dogs were confiscated off there owners it would stop over night. The dog warden would probably need armed protection !
People love there dogs, but not cleaning up after them.. Disgusting

flanzer

emmbaasee wrote: »

Come on now !
It's by no means unique to Ireland
If dogs were confiscated off there owners it would stop over night. The dog warden would probably need armed protection !
People love there dogs, but not cleaning up after them.. Disgusting

We don't need dog wardens to police it, the Gardaí can. Considering it like littering only 10 times worse.

I know plenty of dog owners who bring a bag with them and dispose of the sh!t safely.

flanzer

emmbaasee wrote: »

Come on now !
It's by no means unique to Ireland

You're right. You might see it in some of the slums of Soweto or Rio.

No modern city has the same problem

Lux23

OldBean wrote: »

Stoneybatter is smothered in dog sh*t.

Yes, it's getting to be a bit of a problem. I wonder who you can complain to about it.

There doesn't seem to be any signs up or anything.

emmbaasee

flanzer wrote: »

We don't need dog wardens to police it, the Gardaí can. Considering it like littering only 10 times worse.

I know plenty of dog owners who bring a bag with them and dispose of the sh!t safely.

Would the gardai not already have this power ?
I would like to think they would under litter legislation..
They gardai have enough sh1t to be dealing with

riveratom

skeg16 wrote: »

I've started a new job in D2 and I walk from bachelors every morning to pearse st and the biggest thing Ive noticed is the amount of dog sh1t on the paths and roads that has been smushed inot the ground.

Every morning without fail, I see at least 1 dirty pile of dog muck on my travels and I just pray that it will never be my shoe that has to be cleaned!!!!

Is there no cameras in the city that can catch the owners, fair enough some of the dogs may be on their own and off their leash but at least we can catch the owners who are unmannerly enough no to clean up after their dog!!!

Any1 else having the same tip-toe-ing feeling in the city???

Love2love wrote: »

Its absolutely disgusting. I walk up Sandwith Street (off Pearse Street) twice a day and I am sick of dodging it. On one stretch of footpath there can be up to 10 piles. Its very difficult to push a pram and dodge it and I look pretty foolish trying to. If you aren't going to clean up after your dog - you shouldnt have one. Simple.

It's unreal that you mention Sandwith Street area, because I was only thinking the same! I walk around there regularly and it's unbelievable - there is also Hanover Street and there beside the Spar, on the opposite side of the street by the flats, the entire street is just caked into it!

Ireland is unreal like that, I was in New Zealand a couple of years back and the place was spotless (Queenstown and other places).

DOG OWNERS - It's your responsibility to clean up after your dog!

skeg16

Ryt Guys, seen as I am not the only 1 who is getting annoyed with this situation (jersey shore style ) i have sent an email to some councilor from Dublin:

"Hi Kieran,

As I am not a native of Dublin I hope you are the wight person to correspond to but if not could you please point me in the right direction.

Unfortunately I am drawn to email a higher power in this case as I believe the situation has become increasingly worse. I am referring to the amount of dog excrement on Dublin streets. I from the midlands and am well used to a bit of natures environments but as I make my walk every morning to Pearse St I find myself tip-toe-ing every pathway.

I believe with all the camera and surveillance in the city we should be able to catch the owners of some of the animal who are let loose as to fine them. Is there no protocols currently in place to monitor this annoying act???

It seems I am not the only one noticing the issue:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056783341

Some answers/help would be positive."

Lets see what he thinks....

oh, btw, walked to work this morning and I counted 3 dog Sh1ts on Sandwith Street :mad:

Lingua Franca

emmbaasee wrote: »

Come on now !
It's by no means unique to Ireland

I live in the Netherlands and it's extremely rare to see dog eggs here. People either clean up after their dogs or take them to designated areas. They take a lot of pride in their country.

You'll also frequently see these in the pavement as a friendly reminder: http://dustyburrito.blogspot.nl/2009/09/amsterdam-dog-poop-sidewalk-tiles.html

De Bhál

dog eggs - that's a good one

adamski8

SubBusted wrote: »

Could be worse, imagine being in a wheelchair and getting that stuff on your hands.

people in wheel chairs dont push themselves by the tyres you know. they use metal attached to the wheels

sticksman

It does be awful along James St from the hospital right up to St Catherine's Church on Thomas Street. I usually walk on the hospital side of the road.

Hersheys

people in wheel chairs dont push themselves by the tyres you know. they use metal attached to the wheels

Easy enough to touch the wheel by mistake though

whatnext

I have actually heard of a way of stopping this.

If you wipe the dog owners nose in the mess after each time they leave one on the foot path, apparently after a week or so they stop doing it and take the mess away with them.

Not sure if I have that totally correct but it's definitely something along those lines

SubBusted

Dog nappies?

bobin fudge

it's worth noting that not all **** on the pavements are from dogs, lot of human **** as well - perhaps peoplecould use toilets?

Twee.

OldBean wrote: »

Stoneybatter is smothered in dog sh*t.

Serious lack of bins in the area unfortunately. Even on the streets with houses where there's loads of the signs notifying you of a fine if you don't pick up. I walk my OH's dog in the area and end up doing most of the walk carrying little bags of dog **** :rolleyes:

bobin fudge

Twee. wrote: »

Serious lack of bins in the area unfortunately. Even on the streets with houses where there's loads of the signs notifying you of a fine if you don't pick up. I walk my OH's dog in the area and end up doing most of the walk carrying little bags of dog **** :rolleyes:

agreed 100%

JOSman

Navan Road is the same. Your dog, YOUR responsibility, Clean up after Your pet.:mad:

Merch

adamski8 wrote: »

people in wheel chairs dont push themselves by the tyres you know. they use metal attached to the wheels

It could still easily get on their hands or clothes as its possible to rub/contact the wheels, seriously unhygenic

Twee. wrote: »

Serious lack of bins in the area unfortunately. Even on the streets with houses where there's loads of the signs notifying you of a fine if you don't pick up. I walk my OH's dog in the area and end up doing most of the walk carrying little bags of dog **** :rolleyes:

So, i've a dog, its a pain if there isnt a bin but take it home if you have to, one bag inside another, its tough.

As a dog owner, see plenty of people out walking their dogs and quite a number just let their dog squat and ****.
See it plenty, once greystones beach, two women yacking, dog takes a dump, they just flick some sand over it, felt like bollocking them, but you'd never end doing it as so many are at it,Id have to apply that reason to everyone, theres a chance some people will not take too friendily to being told off, set their dog on you, attack you, they probably wont pick the muck up and throw it at you though.

lots just ignoring their dog, I think its the I didnt see it so i dont care, people should be shamed into it.

John_Rambo

flanzer wrote: »

No modern city has the same problem

No modern city? What about Paris.

Not excusing it, but a lot of modern cities have this problem. I was in Biarritz and Kinsale recently. Much worse than Dublin... and it is disgusting.

Twee.

Merch wrote: »

So, i've a dog, its a pain if there isnt a bin but take it home if you have to, one bag inside another, its tough.

Yes, and I do. I'm just saying I don't like having to carry bags of **** around. I always pick it up.

Merch

Twee. wrote: »

Yes, and I do. I'm just saying I don't like having to carry bags of **** around. I always pick it up.

Thats unsuprising though, maybe someone likes it but I doubt many do.
If thats the reason people do it, then they shouldnt have a dog, because it comes with owning one.

Lawrence1895

adamski8 wrote: »

people in wheel chairs dont push themselves by the tyres you know. they use metal attached to the wheels

It might not stick to their hands, but it sticks to the wheels of the chair and everything ends up on the floor in the apartment, sticks to the carpet, etc.
No more details, but I'm looking after a guy in a wheelchair, ie. I know, these things happen

goz83

flanzer wrote: »

It's never policed properly. Dogs should be confiscated off their owners if caught. You wouldn't see it in any city in the world

Yeah....great solution. Dog poos on path, owner fails to clean poo from path, dog gets taken and put down for owner not cleaning poo. There is little excuse for it happening in the city, but in most parks, there are no bins, not even at the edge of the parks. I despise the thought ofhaving to carry a bag of hot dog sh!t around with me when walking my dogs. A bin at the entrance/exit would make lots of sense. Thankfully, my four legged friends prefer t do their dirty work in the bushes, where us two legged folk don't go. I swear i'm blessed with them, because I have a weak stomach.

[Jackass]

It's always one stretch of road where it happens. I used to work along Sandwith street and it was often commented on that it was the dog sh*t capital of the country. I mean absolutely smothered in the stuff.

But there's flats the length of that road, so maybe people with no garden bring their dog out to sh*t on the street and don't have the manners to clean it up??

Another stretch of road is along Clearmont Avenue and Serpentine Avenue in Sandymount, at least these people don't have an excuse for having no gardens, and I mean the place is covered in the stuff, just that particular stretch of road, and always the same, just like Sandwith Street.

It's gotten to the point where me and my girlfriend had a running joke about the crap along that road, one dog was easily identifyable by his grey sh*t, which is always the same whatever they are feeding him, but we call him the camoflage dog, because his stealth poos blend in with the footpath and after a day there always have a footprint in them...

Madness...

An Bhanríon

Ha ha, just spotted this.

Sorry guys, but try living in Paris. It's much worse than Dublin!

KTRIC

The worst I've seen is around Dublin 8 and 12. I lived in Rialto for a while and thought it was bad until I moved to Drimangh. I have a 10 minute walk through Drimnagh to the Luas every morning and its like playing f*cking hopscotch there is so much dogsh!te on the ground.

Last weekend I was out for a walk with a lady friend and on the Crumlin Road and you'd swear a dog blew up there was that much sh!te on the ground near the shopping center. :mad:

bobin fudge

blessington street d1 is pretty impressive:eek:

skeg16

KTRIC wrote: »

The worst I've seen is around Dublin 8 and 12. I lived in Rialto for a while and thought it was bad until I moved to Drimangh. I have a 10 minute walk through Drimnagh to the Luas every morning and its like playing f*cking hopscotch there is so much dogsh!te on the ground.

Last weekend I was out for a walk with a lady friend and on the Crumlin Road and you'd swear a dog blew up there was that much sh!te on the ground near the shopping center. :mad:

Poor lad, you have to worry about dog sh1te on the paths aswel as living in Drimangh......God Speed

KTRIC

skeg16 wrote: »

Poor lad, you have to worry about dog sh1te on the paths aswel as living in Drimangh......God Speed

Its like God hates me

I live out in Clondalkin, and its horse sh!t out here on the footpath you have to avoid.

When I'm jogging it's like doing that tyre training when dodging it.

Your right OP, overall it is disgusting.

skeg16

Is that what I think it is???? (yes, yes, I am that bored in work that I went looking for dog sh1t on Sandwith St)

skeg16

Hi Guys/Gals,

I know this thread is dead in the water but I just thought id follow up with the reply I got from Cllr. Kieran Binchy. To be fair he gave a full and frank reply and I believe him when he says things are being/trying to be done. But I think at the end of the day unless a warden/guard catches this crime in the act and has eye witnesses/proof there is nothing that can be done

Dear x,

Thank you for your email. My apologies for not answering sooner but I wanted to give you a full answer so I was waiting till I had a bit of spare time. You would not believe the amount of queries and complaints that I get about dog dirt, so I am (reluctantly) turning into a bit of an expert on it. And I should make it clear that I don't yet have a satisfactory solution. Instead I'll give you an overview of what the city is trying to do to tackle this, and what seems to be working and what isn't. I should mention that I live on Lime St, do a clinic on Pearse St, and walk around that area on a regular basis, so I know what you are talking about. Since becoming a Councillor most of the complaints on the topic have been in reference to Portobello (residential streets generally), Sandymount Promenade, Dodder walkway (various locations), South Wall, and Ringsend (Thorncastle St, Bridge St etc), but it is a problem across the city.

1. The punitive approach
Litter wardens have the power and responsibility for fining the owners of dogs who leave their faeces behind (under Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act). In order to successfully fine a person they must have a case that would stack up in court, with full proof beyond a reasonable doubt. In practice this would mean eye-witness evidence of an actual act of faeces being deposited and not picked up.

This is one of the reasons both dog dirt and casual littering offences are so rarely prosecuted. From what I see with litter fines generally, virtually no one is ever fined for dropping a sweet wrapper - almost all of our successful prosecutions are for full bags of household litter being left in a public place. This is because the number of litter wardens which would be needed to actually catch people in the act and have evidence would be impractically large. The same applies to dogs - the chances of a warden being in the right place at the right time is so low as to be negligible. And having a warden present would in all likelihood not lead to offences being detected - it would lead to dog owners seeing the warden and making sure the dog didn't do anything until out of sight of the warden. Which goes some of the way towards explaining why there were only 3 (yes, 3), fines collected for dog fouling between 2007 and 2011 by Dublin City Council.

Dog wardens do not have a direct role in tackling dog dirt, but they do indirectly deal with it by keeping strays and untended/uncontrolled dogs off the streets.

The idea of using CCTV was mooted. Dublin City Council's own CCTV system is used for monitoring traffic and cannot be used to monitor individuals for other purposes. I suppose in theory where a litter warden believes that an offence was committed they could ask a business owner whose CCTV covers the spot for video, but the time and money that would be involved in trying to prosecute a dog owner on the basis of CCTV footage would be extremely high. I could make representations to the litter section if anyone thought this was a real option, but at first glance seems cumbersome.

As a Council we have made a representation to the Minister for the Environment for an amendment to the litter Acts which would combine the punitive element with the encouragement/socialisation element considered below, asking it to be an offence for someone to be in control of a dog in public without a poop-scoop on their person. Litter wardens could fine any dog owner who didn't carry one, which would mean almost all would carry one. There would be no guarantee (beyond the current offence under Section 22) that they would use it, but it would both make them way more likely to use it and as no one would have an excuse for not picking up after their dog it would create a general positive peer/social pressure to clean up after one's dog. It wouldn't solve the problem, but it might change habits and attitudes and thereby change how certain dog owners act.

I should mention however that if someone is asked for their name and address, a litter warden has no way of knowing whether it is true or not. He can call a Garda to get the Garda to verify their identity, which would be an option if they refuse to give a name and address or if they give one that is obviously fake. It is not fatal to the punitive approach, but adds another administrative weakness.

2. The cleaning approach
We are currently negotiating the overall budget for the city, and expect to be able to increase the funding for street cleaning to around €32 million. I have to admit to being surprised when I first saw the figure, but I gather that in the last 5 years or so it was cut from €38 million (2008) to around €29 million (2012) - I am relatively new to the Council so I do need to re-check the 2008 figure. For that, we create a hierarchy of streets. The commercial ones get cleaned every day (including footpaths). Residential streets get cleaned 4 times a year. There are categories in between - more information is available here - http://www.dublincity.ie/WaterWasteEnvironment/Waste/Pages/SS.aspx
You can check any street here - http://www.dublincity.ie/StreetSweeping/

More cleaning is definitely part of the answer.

3. The preventative approach
For a while the city was making free scooper bags available at dispensers with special bins on a pilot basis a few years ago, but it was not a success. I gather there was no reduction in dog dirt in the area they were piloted it, (and additional illegal dumping took place at the bins). It may have been that those who would have brought their own bag and been diligent relied on the free ones, but those who wouldn't have brought their own bags wouldn't go find a nearby dispenser either. It was not considered a success and was not made permanent. The manager in our area summarised it as - Despite Dublin City Council providing free poop-scoops, erecting anti-dog fouling signs and installing approx 100 dog bins throughout the city, approx 100 complaints were still received in Customer Services through the litter hotline in 2009 and 2010.

4. The social pressure approach
As part of the earlier pilot above, signs stating that dog fouling is prohibited were erected. Again, the effect was minimal if any. However, I don't believe we will see real change until allowing your dog to defecate in the street is seeing for what it is, a dirty negligent act that puts children's health at risk, that degrades the environment, and that lowers the quality of life for all users of the public realm. If people are made to realise that it is the social equivalent of randomly dropping a large lump of faeces outside someone's front door, we might see some progress. Public opinion, peer pressure and social norms can actually have a strong effect. So signs telling people about fines might not be as effective as signs telling them that it is dirty and dangerous.

5. The Mixed Approach - a new pilot
The Council is currently trying a new approach that uses some of what I have described above in a few neighbourhoods across the city. There are new street signs with a positive message "Bag the Poo - Any Bin will do", which also appears on street bins. There are new cleaning machines with a vacuum specifically designed for specifically cleaning up dog dirt. More details are below. We haven't yet had an evaluation of whether it is considered a success or not.

(Without wanting to overcomplicate it, there is also the problem that bins in parks are emptied by the parks section and bins on streets by the bin section and both have been known to voice various objections to having to empty bins with loose dog dirt in them. I understand that both now accept that it is in their job description...)

Having said all that, there must be other means we can use to tackle this. I will raise the Pearse St/Sandwith St area with the litter warden and the environmental officer for that area, and I will ask that the dog dirt problem be focussed on when street cleaning is taking place. However if you or anyone on boards.ie has cost-effective proposals for the more general city-wide problem, I am more than happy to hear them and to work to get them implemented if it seems that they will be effective.

Please see below a question I submitted on the topic, and a summary of the current pilot programme.

Thanks again for the email. Feel free to post my reply on boards.ie if you are posting there.

Kind regards,

Cllr. Kieran Binch

_blank_

That's an excellent reply you got there.

Fair play to the Cllr, and to you for posting that here.

I liked this line

You would not believe the amount of queries and complaints that I get about dog dirt, so I am (reluctantly) turning into a bit of an expert on it

I'd vote for him if he wasn't a blueshirt. :pac: