Calls for dogs to be banned on scenic walks in Longford as fouling fears intensify
Local authority bosses have been urged to consider prohibiting dogs from being allowed on some of Longford’s most scenic walkways amid claims dog fouling is now “completely out of hand”.
Councillors last week discussed the merits of installing additional dig bins and bag dispensers across all public highways in an effort to keep a lid on the problem.
Cllr Gerry Warnock referenced Longford’s Royal Canal route as one such area which was in need of particular attention from environmental officials.
“It’s a widely used facility and as busy as the Mall,” he said.
“The issue of dog fouling on our walkways is getting completely out of hand and extremely difficult to police so we need to have these facilities in situ so the offenders have absolutely no excuse to justify their inconsiderate actions.”
Fine Gael Cllr Colin Dalton said while only a small minority were behind the rise in indiscriminate dog fouling, a case could be made to make signage at specific locations more visible.
His fellow party member, Cllr Paraic Brady went a step further, however and argued for certain popular walking routes to be completely free of dogs.
“It’s (dog fouling) a huge, huge problem and you would have to wonder about the mentality of people sometimes,” he said.
“If it continues, I believe we (council) should designate some areas for dog walking and put cameras on them and in some of our more scenic walkways, we ban dogs altogether.”