A dog warden has told Belfast Council that “responsible dog ownership has gone right out the window” as elected representatives admitted the city service is facing a crisis over dog fouling.
Councillors heard at City Hall this week that the dog warden service was suffering a resourcing and staffing emergency, with only 14 fixed penalties having been issued since last April for dog fouling, and only 12 staff covering the whole of the city dog services.
At the Belfast City Council People and Communities Committee meeting, elected representatives discussed for over an hour whether or not to increase fines for littering, dog fouling and failing to leash a dog, after Stormont granted new powers for council to fine up to a maximum of £200 on spot fines.
