Sunday, March 13, 2016

Dog Poo matters

At last Wednesday's meeting of River CC the situation with dog fouling was again discussed. It was suggested that there were not enough dog bins in Nairn, enforcement too was debated. The meeting was also told by Mike Henderson that he believed free dog poo bags from Highland Council will soon be disappearing because of the cuts. The provision of dog poo bins on the East Beach was also discussed. And it looks like a beach user has decided to do a bit of awareness raising with a tweet to Highland Council:


51 comments:

Anonymous said...

The council has provided numerous bins and bags but still dog fouling is a huge problem. It wouldn't cost much but please could I appeal for some dog free public areas in Nairn? It would allow children to freely play and adults to walk without having to wonder as to what they might be treading in. I'd like to see a dog free beach in Nairn again, this would be easier to enforce as we now have the dog warden

Anonymous said...

I agree with 7.03pm...we really do need some dog free areas in Nairn . What always surprises me is that dog owners think that we like having their slobbering pooches come running up to us. Please, if we don't have a dog with us it's because we can't be bothered with them, but are too polite to say. Have some consideration.

Anonymous said...

Scunnered with the mess many dog owners don't bother to pick up, bag then bin.

I would fully support areas of Nairn to be dog free. Fed up with having to protect my bairns when we go to the likes of the beach as they get chased by dogs and my wee girl is getting a real phobia about them having been knocked over by one

Many owners seem to have no control over their dogs but are happy to let them off the leash

If I ran up to someone and pushed them over I'd likely be charged with assault, but when this happened to one of my family I'm told by the owner that the dogs just playing

Despite all this not against dogs, just want some dog free areas in Nairn

Anonymous said...

Dog walkers are out every day.... In all weathers.

Most other people seem to come out and use the beach only on fair weather days.

Usually after such days the beach is littered with rubbish left by humans.

Maybe we should ban humans without dogs on the beach.

Anonymous said...

@ 7:37 PM

I'd happily let dog owners have one beach all to themselves if it meant the other was free from dog poo, poorly behaved dogs and owners

Not that it's nice but I'd prefer to step on a crisp packet any day rather than dog poo

And just for the record I and many others who don't have dogs are out walking all weathers

Anonymous said...

Fed up with dogs, dog poo, dog owners. Used to be able to go to the beach and have a good time, now we have to watch where we walk and I have to keep the kids near me as dogs run up. When I asked one dog owner to stop letting his dogs bark and chase my kids I was told it's a beach. Dog free beach please so kids can play again

Anonymous said...

I'm a dog owner. I rarely take my dogs to the beach these days as the behaviour of many other dogs means I have to keep mine on a lead and even then I'm often fending off out of control dogs who's owners are sometimes nowhere to be seen

I can fully understand the calls for dog free areas in Nairn, I would support that

dr-grigor said...

i see all these comments wanting dogs banned from the beach. what a ridiculous idea, never heard the like,as many people know i have a fairly large dog, a dogue de bordeau (turner and hooch type)i am on very good terms with the dog warden who informed me that my dog was the first dog she witnessed when she came to Nairn as i was picking up his poo, dont blame the dogs its the owners who through total lack of training of there dogs that is to blame not the dogs,, i see more rubbish than dog poo on the beach perhaps its the humans that need trained. why dont you do something constructive and complaine to the council about the atrocious mess of pigeon poo along the side of courthouse lane a dam disgrace and extremely harmful to humans.

Anonymous said...

I don't like something.... So let's stop it for everybody!!

Anonymous said...

It's not more bins that are needed, it's owners that are prepared to bag the poo and then bin it that we need. Too many don't bother

Anonymous said...

I am a dog owner and always pick up after my dog. I hate it when I am out walking and see other people not picking up after their dogs. Also people who let their dogs run free and terrify my dog when they come bounding up. So come on dog owners get a grip and stop giving the good owners a bad name.

Anonymous said...

Adults, children, dogs and their owners, horses and their riders, cyclists and their bikes etc ALL have a right to access the beaches. Is it acceptable for dog poo to be left on the beach? Of course not! However is it acceptable for adults to leave rubbish on the beach? Or for parents to let their children run riot and bother other people who were quietly minding their own business? Or for the horse and their rider to travel over the delicate salt marsh and damage the area? Or for the cyclists to ride their bikes at speed down the narrow paths leaving people to have to jump out of their way? The answer to all of these is also of course not! It's all very good to pick on the dog walkers and tar them all with the same brush but there are a great number of other beach users out there who also show similarly disrespectful behaviour. If people really believe that segregation is the way forward rather than mutual respect and coexistance and are calling for a dog free area of the beach then fine, but then there also needs to be areas of the beach free of humans not walking with dogs.

Anonymous said...

It's all about enforcement, stop trying to use the lack of the authorities getting their act together to do something as an excuse to ban all people with dogs. What do all our politicians earn their considerable sums of cash for and why can't they do something about this?

Anonymous said...

Despite the protests from 'responsible' dog owners I would see some dog free areas of Nairn as a way forward, the costs being signage and enforcement, the latter could presumably be carried out by the dog warden

If indeed all or even the majority of dog owners were responsible then there just wouldn't be the issue of dog mess. The problem of out of control dogs is also of concern, but this too would be addressed to a degree by dog free areas

The dog question could be used to our advantage for tourism. Whilst we might have dog free areas perhaps some hotels, B and B's could offer to be dog friendly allowing visitors pets to stay there. I'm pretty sure the likes of Parkdean offer pet friendly vans already?

Other tourists would be attracted by the dog free areas for this isn't just a Nairn problem, and I'm sure one dog free beach plus other areas would be a positive attraction

No matter what I hope something is done, and soon

Anonymous said...

I've given up cycling alongside the river on the provided cycle paths, the reason, too many incidents with dogs chasing me. When I got home after the last encounter I found the skin on my ankle had been broken by the dogs bite. Also many dog walkers don't respect the cycle paths and happily walk along them, seemingly put out when a cyclist comes along. It's not fair that dogs stop other leisure pursuits but for me thats whats happened. Bringing back the dog license might be a start. I'd support dog free areas as others have said

Kate said...


It is up to each and everyone of us to take responsibility for our own actions. Not a politician or an enforcer. Yes it would be great if there was no dog poo anywhere, yes I would love it if there was no litter and rubbish blighting our town, and yes I would love to walk around Nairn without dogs jumping up on me and licking my hands or even shaking sea water all over me. It is up to the dog owners to take responsibility for their dogs' actions (as many do). A dog free, dog poo free, litter free beach area would be fantastic for Nairn, it's residents and its visitors. The beach is huge. Bring back the dog free central area near where visitors park. Please help keep Nairn beautiful!

Anonymous said...

It was never dog free Kate, as a responsible dog owner I simply used to defy that ban and would do it again. Petty restrictions will just be ignored, last time there was nothing anyone could do to stop you.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon 9:35

Maybe it's other folk having a similar attitude to yours that's at the heart of many of the problems listed

'there was nothing anyone could do to stop you'

Applies to dog fouling, out of control dogs and dropping litter etc Unless you choose to carry these out under the nose of the dog warden or a police person the petty restrictions that are in place to discourage you from these actions will fail.

You like to see yourself as a responsible person when clearly your actions suggest otherwise

I'd like to see the return of one dog free beach in Nairn, and hopefully the majority of people are upstanding, unselfish citizens who would respect that request



Anonymous said...

I would pay money to be able to access dog free areas in Nairn especially a beach. I try and go for a walk every evening. When it's light I find I'm looking down at my feet to see what I might be treading in rather than enjoying the lovely scenery and when it's dark I'm walking checking the ground with a torch

Anonymous said...

@Kate 08:43

I see you wish to 'keep Nairn beautiful'. If that is truly the case then there are plenty of other larger and more pressing issues on the list than dog poo to help keep Nairn beautiful.

Anonymous said...

@Kate

You comment 'A dog free, dog poo free, litter free beach area would be fantastic for Nairn, it's residents and its visitors.'

Perhaps you think a dog free and dog poo beach would be great for residents and visitors however the reality is that a number of visitors to Nairn bring their dogs on holiday with them. I know this is the case because I meet many each summer.

And a dog free beach won't create a litter free beach since both residents without dogs and visitors are guilty of leaving rubbish on the beach. Anyone else noticed the increase in litter on the Maggot area of the beach once the caravan park reopens each year???

Anonymous said...

You always get anti dog people, I reckon the photo might be a set up :-)

Anonymous said...

It's always good to try and change the subject when things get uncomfortable, in this case people are trying to move from dog poo to litter. Nice try, the dog mess remains (as does the litter) but it's dog poo that this post is about

Anonymous said...

The prom from Golfview Brae towards the swimming pool is disgusting today, dog poo all along the verges.
I had a dog in the early 70's and always cleaned up after it, although it was not a law then.
There are an awful lot of dogs these days, so it's only decent and common sense to clean up.
Nowadays we have a lot of people who come to visit. The mess on the prom today would put folk off coming here.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon 4:40 PM

'the reality is that a number of visitors to Nairn bring their dogs on holiday with them'

Yes they do but I'm sure they'd prefer to holiday in place where their dogs were welcomed.

Some dog free areas might just change the attitude that some people (rightly) hold towards dogs to something more positive and therefore visitors with pooches might enjoy a better welcome

Likewise there are a number of visitors who might also be attracted by dog free areas

Whatever we need a solution and not just more talk

Anonymous said...

I do think there should be enforceable signs asking for dogs to be kept on leads in most of Nairn. It would stop the out of control dogs and it is less likely the owner will not notice their dog crapping. Won't stop some but then neither will bans at night etc.

Anonymous said...

Would simply say that you see so many pictures on social media of dogs and owners having fun on a day out to Nairn. A lot of business would be turned away.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 6:48

I own a dog but I know that dog owners not picking up their dogs poo is a problem. It's not a 'nice try' to move away from the subject. People on here are acknowledging that there is an issue but commenting that there are a lot of other issues too which no one apparently wants to address. Yes let's sort the dog poo issue, then perhaps we can move onto parents and their unruly children or any other subject that affects people on the beach.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 4:40.

'Yes they do but I'm sure they'd prefer to holiday in place where their dogs were welcomed.'

So you are suggesting that people would not welcome visitors with their dogs? Well I'm sure that people with dogs thinking of visiting Nairn would love to hear that and then perhaps they will decide to go somewhere else instead. Well done for promoting tourism to Nairn!

Anonymous said...

@ Anon 7:01 PM

I've not read of anyone wanting dogs banned from Nairn anon, just the sensible suggestion that some areas are decreed dog free for those folk who don't like dog poo/ dogs out of control etc

People don't tend to post photos on social media of stepping in dog poo, mind you, maybe someone should set up a new Facebook page 'Dog poo in Nairn' and photos of the many offending jobbies could be posted there.

Anonymous said...

Highland Art Photo has made a good start in documenting the problem of dog poo in Nairn. We really need to follow this up with the likes of a Facebook page. We could have a daily competition for 'poo of the day' photo, probably wouldn't attract many visitors though

I would suggest that some dog free areas would be better in terms of tourism but it would seem these wouldn't be popular with some dog owners? Shame some people don't want to entertain a compromise

sling it in a tree said...

33 bags of bagged dog poo, unreal.

So could we describe these people as half responsible dog owners, bag it but can't be bothered to bin it?

Sorry I don't understand the mentality of dog owners who pull such stunts, who do they think will collect their bags, the kindly soul who took the photo? Please explain how you think this works when you drop a bag away from a bin

It beggars belief but then there were probably at least a similar number of lumps of dog poo sat on the open prairie not bagged.

Why do many dog owners think because they're taking their dogs to somewhere off the beaten track it's okay just to leave dog poo? Do they think that they are their dog are the only animals that will ever visit that area?

Responsible dog owners, I don't really think they exist

Anonymous said...

The comment below the photo states that "Collected 33 bags of dog mess this am on path to #nairn beach". It does not make it clear if the 33 bags were bags filled by the person who posted the article or if this was 33 filled bags found by them.

My point is that if these bags were found then they are very obviously from the same dog owner given the way that the bags are all similar and tied the same way. If they were already filled then that is bizarre that they couldn't be bothered putting them in the bin.

If they were filled by the author of the article then well done them for their above and beyond civic duty.

Anonymous said...

At 7 41

"Why do many dog owners think because they're taking their dogs to somewhere off the beaten track it's okay just to leave dog poo"

I wish it was just off the beaten track but it's everywhere in Nairn, but your right its not right to leave it anywhere

I don't have an answer as whatever measures are in place now are not working. I would also vote for dog free places

Graisg said...

Bag and throw away is a strange cultural phenomena and if those that indulge in this practise regularly walk the same spot then there could quite easily be 30 bags of the same colour in the vicinity.
Also worth remembering that one dog shitting in the same spot every day can make an area look quite bad - it doesn't mean that everyone is letting their dog do the business there.

Anonymous said...

Clearly the issue of dog mess is a concern of many people judging by the number who've responded to this subject

Some dog owners are clearly miffed by the very suggestion of dog free areas in Nairn but as the current dogs everywhere policy isn't working how about a trial period?

I would put forward all football/sports pitches in Nairn as well as the central (West) beach

Anonymous said...

When I was a wean, the dug needed a License - every year - it cost then about 7/6 - c37p. At that time, it was the same amount of money that I got for delivering newspapers and fresh rolls - 6 mornings a week.
Most civilised countries still have dog licenses.
£10/year - with more for designated "dangerous" breeds; free for "necessary" dogs.
£100/year for cats!!

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 8.24 AM

Aye, and a £1000 per year for the owners

Anonymous said...

After reading Anonymous @ 8:24..............

I love that you mention £100 per year for cats! Its peculiar that cat owners are allowed to let their cats roam around free all day crapping in everyone elses gardens (except their own) while dog owners on here are taking a hammering over dog poo. Yeah they should pick it up but I'm also pretty fed up of clearing the neighbours cat poo out of my own garden (aka the cats toilet) to stop my little boy picking it up.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon 6:49pm.

If you want to start charging dog owners then why just end there, lets charge every idiot in society!

Anonymous said...

At Anon 8:49

Can we start with you then?

Anonymous said...

Now he's feeling "Ruff Ruff"

Anonymous said...

Could we have a stamp it out campaign?

Anonymous said...

Sadly not, looks like there are some other people ahead of me on the list........

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous 8.24 AM

'£10/year - with more for designated "dangerous" breeds; free for "necessary" dogs.'

There are ONLY FOUR dangerous dog breeds all of which are banned here in the UK.

Would you have considered that Labs and Spaniels attack or bite more humans a year than what you and others probably consider dangerous......

Anonymous said...

At @ 7:41 PM sling it in a tree said...

'Responsible dog owners, I don't really think they exist'

Could go on about the rest of society taking responsibility but perhaps YOU don't exist either......

Anonymous said...

Oh dear, it would seem someone's hackles have been raised over the dog poo issue and subsequent comments

Responsibility is with dog owner period

Anonymous said...

@ 6:26

Not just someone's but quite a few peoples hackles that have been raised. Not surprising when there are people claiming that there are no responsible dog owners. I'm sure that none of the commenters know every dog owner in Nairn so that cannot be backed up.

Responsibility obviously lies with each and every dog owner. I'm a dog owner and have seen other owners not picking up after their dogs but what do I get when I say anything to them...... well I can't repeat that sort of unpleasant language on here!

Anonymous said...

@ anon 11 43

If the majority of Nairn dog owners were responsible the subject of dog poo wouldn't be on the Gurn, but obviously they're not

It's also been pointed out by several people that they've suffered from out of control dogs

I've seen people we'd think of as responsible citizens leave their dogs mess as I assume they thought no one was watching and they could get away with it, how often does this happen? 'I'm a responsible dog owner until I think no one is watching'

Defending such action is defending the indefensible, there are no excuses

Anonymous said...

It is a minority. If the same person be that with one dog or a vehicle load of dogs uses the same area all the time the shit will soon mount up.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon 6.21

If you re read the post at 11.43 you will perhaps realise that the person is not trying to defend the indefensible as you have suggested. It says that picking up dog poo is the responsibility and duty of the dogs owner.

The majority of dog owners are responsible, hence the often overflowing dog poo bins. There is a large population of dogs in Nairn. I believe the problem of dog poo would be a lot worse if the majority of dog owners didnt pick up their dogs poo. Its the same for every sector of society, the is always a minprity which gives the majority a bad name.