Once there were more than a few doggie jobbies lying around on the Links for citizens to worry about

See the post two below this one for details of how dog turds are annoying some citizens. Local politicians (the paid variety) please note - that is the sort of thing you are elected to sort out! Meanwhile let's flashback to a time when you might have encountered something rather more unpleasant down the Links.

From the Nairnshire Mirror June 13th 1946. Picture will enlarge a little.

Turds are Us - Courier Jobbie coverage

The page five treatment for the sewage that is going into the river just opposite the Maggot Flats. The Courier reports:

"Residents forced to keep their windows closed because of the stench of sewage are backing plans by a community council to stop the waste festering on the river bank outside their homes. The sewage, from an emergency overflow pipe, is spilling out and running down the bank during heavy rainfall before entering the River Nairn, near the Riverside Court area of Nairn. " More in the Courier today, we'll link to it if it goes on-line.

It isn't only into the river, it also flows out of the two inspection covers on either side of the sewage bridge and onto the paths, and this can't be very good at all for people living in that area or users of the riverside. You can see the discoloration where it has been gathering. Pictures have previously been posted on the Gurn.

Picking up your doggie's jobbies week

If anyone doesn't do that by now will a publicity campaign do anything to convince them? Reading a press release from Highland Council it emerges that 20 people were fined £40 each across the Highlands for leaving pooch turds in their wake:
"The law makes it an offence if a dog fouls anywhere to where the public have access. Any waste must be immediately pick it up and dispose of correctly. If not dog owners can face a £40 penalty.
Over 20 dog walkers were fined in the Highlands last year for failing to pick up after their dogs.
James Sanderson Education and Enforcement officer with The Highland Council said: “Despite the signs, the posters and the free bags there are still dog walkers who think it is okay to leave dog waste on the ground. Some people think it’s alright if their dog fouls on a beach but this is in many ways worse as children will play with the sand and walk on beaches in bare feet. The tide can wash sand over a dog mess and it makes a beach like a minefield for anyone wanting to enjoy the beautiful coastal areas we have in our Highlands.”

This observer feels that forty quid is not enough. £400 for a first offence, doubling for every subsequent offence would be the way to go for both jobbies and litter. For more information on National Poop Scoop Week click here.

Lochloy poo bins and open areas issues

An overflowing poo bin up at Lochloy - whose responsibility to empty it?

The Gurn understands that problems may have recently arisen over maintenance of some of the open areas in the newer parts of the Lochloy schemes. It could be that large areas may not be the responsibility of the Council due to adoption issues and residents may have to look into alternative ways of maintaining some areas.

Stopping the turds in a "friendly non-confrontational way"

Highland Council want you for their friendly, volunteer stop the turds army.

"Green Dog Walkers is a non confrontational friendly way of changing people’s attitudes towards dog fouling in public places and encourages responsible dog ownership. Volunteers from community groups will wear a Green Dog Walkers (GDW) wristband which signifies that they have 'Taken the Pledge' to always clean up after their dog; to carry extra dog bags and be happy to be approached to 'lend' a doggie bag to those without; and to be a friendly reminder to other dog walkers to clean up after their dogs. Their four legged friends will also be able to promote the scheme by wearing a specially branded dog collar or snood."

Will this strategy get rid of the turd mountains building up on Nairn's brown strips? More on the Highland Council web site.

Nairn seafront - a major jobbie hotspot?

This came in last night from Greg:

"Gurnites should take a walk from the Golf View along to the swimming pool before it rains, and check out how many dog turds there are. I took a walk this afternoon and spray painted them all yellow, in an attempt to "highlight" the issue, and even I was shocked at the vast quantity. I used a whole tin of industrial road marking paint, I had intended to carry on as far as the harbour, but my tin was empty ! Hopefully the irresponsible owners will now realise themselves how bad it is and be shamed into picking up, as the Council clearly aren't doing anything."

Earlier this morning a Gurn reporter went down for a look. There was plenty of the yellow stuff that is for sure and where the yellow stuff stopped it was back to the brown stuff and there was no shortage as one headed towards the harbour. Now a hard-core of dog-owners are letting the community down with their stone-age attitudes - it is so last century to let your dog shit and not pick it up. You should be ashamed of your selfish unhealthy behaviour. Down the prom this morning one of the more responsible dog owners told the Gurn how he regularly "jars" offenders when he sees them leaving jobbies behind. That's one way forward here Gurnites - tell these folk what you think of them!

Well done Greg for your imaginative way of pushing the turd situation along the seafront up the agenda a little.

Bagging it

Plenty of people bagging it these days.

Joe finally lost it but Sandy sorted it!

Looks like a couple of litter and doggie jobbie hotspots have been sorted thanks to an intervention by Sandy Park. More on Joe's Swan blog.

Getting back to normal

The thaw allows you to see the riverside footpaths again. Perhaps it's time for the Council's jobbie poilis to get back on the beat down by the harbour?

Frozen jobbies start stacking up

Obviously other issues are taking priority at the moment but once the thaw starts the council will have to be quick off the mark in tackling Nairn's doggie jobbie mountains.

Update: news reaches the Gurn of an emergency make over for the doggie bin.

Why don't horse owners have to bag it and bin it too?

A jobbie is a jobbie really isn't it? Just because you own a horse should you get away with it?

Dog crack down

Despite the smell telling you otherwise as you trudge it into the house, Highland Council informs us that it had a dog-fouling crack down week in April that included Nairn.
Six areas were targeted and a total of eleven fixed penalty notices were issued to offenders.
Officers confirmed that the great majority of dog owners were responsible with just a minority not picking up; further targeted crackdowns are planned for this year.

Could Nairn have its own dog poo calender asks Ayeright

A doo poo calendar for 2009? Something that could be a must for Nairnites, or will the threat of a £50 fine make folk clean up their (Dogs) act? '

Good idea Ayeright, send in pics of nearby turds to the Gurn and well see if we can knock up a calendar for Nairn on one of those Vanity publishing sites. '

Dog Poo DNA: the answer to Nairn's problem?

Another one of those Ayeright reports:

Dog poo has been an emotive subject in Nairn (As for many other places). We have seen graffiti in the street complaining about it (As reported here in the Gurn), extra council support staff hired, but now someone has come up with a fool-proof solution.

Would having the offence tracked back to your pooch stop the problem, named and shamed for all to see? The UK is already a big brother society when it comes to CCTV coverage and with DNA taken from many males in Nairn as part of the Alistair Wilson murder enquiry should we allow unfettered Police access to held DNA profiles in order to solve crimes more efficiently?

If it keeps the turds off the streets let's roll with it AyeRight! If you are innocent you have nothing to fear but the smelly stuff on your shoes.

One man and the war on dog poo

A reader tells the Gurn that they phoned up the TEC services of Highland Council in Nairn to complain about doggie jobbie outside their house. The response was that there is only one dog warden at the moment but reinforcements will be joining the anti-poo squad at the beginning of June. One more man means a 100% increase in the fight against the menace coming soon?

The art of picking up dog poo - should the local authority listen to the young as well?

Regular readers will remember the recent Gurn articles concerning dog poo and the young folk who have approached this subject in a diplomatic, non-confrontational way. Well, is it time the local authority played its part more effectively? This is the scene down at the East Beach today and its not only the dog poo bins that are overflowing in that area. Time for someone to get out of a highly paid seat in an office and put on a pair of strong rubber gloves?

Gurn exclusive: Dirty Protest in Fishertown

Controversial new road markings appear in the Fishertown. Could 'filthy people' be the only thing stopping the Fishertown from winning a Blue Fag (sic) award? The encircled area contains two rather large doggie jobbies.