Schoolchildren appeal to residents to clean up dog mess

PUPILS at three Gwendraeth Valley schools are appealing to residents to clean up after their dogs.

Carway, Ponthenri and Gwynfryn primary schools have been designing posters to put up in the local community to encourage people to put their dog mess in the bin.

Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones and local member Cllr Tyssul Evans visited the three schools along with education and awareness officers from the council’s Street Scene department.

They spoke to pupils about dog fouling and its consequences and Cllr Jones asked them about problem areas in their communities.

He said enforcement officers could then target these ‘hotspot’ areas and anyone caught not cleaning up after their dog could be fined £75 or prosecuted in court where the maximum fine is £1,000.

Cllr Jones said: “We are doing all we can to raise awareness and encourage people to clean up after their pets but we need as much help as possible to spread the word in local communities and this is where the children can help.

“The pupils came up with some great ideas for their posters and I hope residents will take notice of them and help keep our villages clean.

“Dog mess can be a serious health risk and we don’t want children playing in their local park or on the beach and falling into it.”

The work is being carried out as part of the Eco Schools programme where children study a number of issues such as recycling, energy, looking after the environment, healthy eating and good citizenship.

Cllr Evans said he was contacted for his help because pupils were regularly finding dog mess on their walk to school.

He said: “Children who arrive at school via the ‘walking bus’ are fully aware of the problems that dog fouling can create and having this knowledge first hand of the local ‘hotspots’ they immediately contacted myself and members of the school governors asking for our help in trying to solve this long-standing problem.”