Cleaning up after your dog is essential in public places, but some may not realise that they could be fined for letting their dog poo on their own property.
While dog fouling in public is a known offence, an unnamed man was recently fined over £750 for dog poo that was littered across his garden. In this instance, there was a build-up of faeces that remained for months, prompting complaints from neighbours.
As this buildup was impacting the man's neighbours and their quality of life, the local council stepped in, giving the dog owner a week to clear the mess.
After a warning, the man was initially hit with a community protection notice, which was outlined in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a UK Public General Act. Local Authorities across the UK are able to dish out these types of notices when appropriate.
The legislation states: "the conduct of the individual or body is having a detrimental effect, of a persistent or continuing nature, on the quality of life of those in the locality, and the conduct is unreasonable."
A local authority can issue a fixed penalty notice of £100 under this legislation however the UK dog owner that was recently fined faced some £754.
This is because the unnamed owner failed to comply with a Community Protection Notice and didn't remove waste from their property - following that, the owner did not attend court when called up on April 19.
The legislation adds that failing to comply with a notice in this instance could lead to a fine "not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale". That amounts to £2,500
So, in this instance, you'd likely be given a warning that you would have to ignore, followed by a notice which you would also have to ignore, and then miss a court date to face a fine over £100 for dog foul build up in your garden.
Commenting on the recent case, Ian Hoult, council neighbourhood protection manager, said: "The build-up of mess in the yard was not only unsightly, but was becoming a health risk, specifically for children in the area which is unacceptable."
Ian who works at Durham County Council added: "We receive almost 4,000 reports a year about untidy yards and gardens that are having a negative impact on our communities.
"On investigation we give people the chance to rectify the problem, however we will take action against those who don’t."
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