Sir, – I walk my dog most days along the seafront in Clontarf. Any time I have witnessed dogs fouling the pavement and owners not cleaning up the mess, the dog is off the lead and a quite a distance away from their owner. I have often informed these people about their dog’s behaviour.
They always look completely surprised that their dog could possibly do such a hideous thing and they hurry off to clean up the mess. If the law stated that all dogs mush be kept on a lead in public areas, there would be far less uncleaned-up pooh left on the pavement. It is very difficult for a dog owner to feign surprise that their dog has had a pooh when they are one foot away from their owner, on a lead.
Of course, if they take their dog out under cover of darkness, it is easier to get away with not cleaning up a dog’s mess. However, changing the law would go a long way towards ensuring a cleaner, safer environment for all of us. – Yours, etc,
MARY CLARKE,
Dublin 3.