A woman has been prosecuted after she refused to pay
a fixed penalty notice for not clearing up after her dog that
fouled the pavement in front of her neighbour's
house.
Neighbours of Sharon Slater, who's 43 and from
Hazletree Close in Ripley, said they had seen Mrs Slater's black
collie dog foul on many occasions and said that it was allowed out
to foul on their cul-de-sac on a regular basis.
Amber Valley Borough Council issued the notice for
Mrs Slater to pay an £80 fine for the offence, which happened in
December 2011, but despite repeated warnings sent to her in
February and March, she refused to pay. The matter was therefore
passed to Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court where Mrs Slater
was ordered to pay £245 in fines and costs for the
offence.
Mrs Slater admitted the offence and told the court
said that she normally kept an eye on her dog and always cleaned up
but, on that occasion, she didn't.
Julian Townsend, Executive Director of Environmental
Services said: We are committed to ensuring people enjoy their
local environment, free from the nuisance and health risks often
caused by dog fouling. We provide general litter bins and dog waste
bins where dog mess can be disposed and will also clear fouling
from public places. Most dog owners are responsible and clear
up after their dog but there is a small minority who leave this
offensive type of litter on our streets and it is to these we will
issue fixed penalty notices."
Anyone who witnesses dog fouling can report incidents to
01773 841335 envadmin@ambervalley.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
General litter bins and dog waste bins are located
throughout the borough where dog mess can be disposed of. The
Council also routinely clears fouling from public
places.
It is the responsibility of the dog owner or the
person in charge of the dog to clear up any dog foul left by their
dog. If they fail to clean up after their dog they can be issued
with a Fixed Penalty Notice, or if the case goes to court a fine of
up to £1,000.
For further information please contact Luke Barrett
Communications Manager on 01773 841 655 or email luke.barrett@ambervalley.gov.uk