Councillor pushing for Green Dog Walkers scheme

Cllr Mark Leigh and, inset, the Kilkenny scheme.

A Green Dog Walkers scheme, aimed at changing attitudes towards dog fouling among a small group of owners, is being proposed for County Kildare, writes Brian Byrne. Athy-based councillor Mark Leigh has the issue on the agenda for the full council meeting on Monday, 23 February. 

The councillor's idea is that responsible dog owners would register for the scheme, pledging to always clean up after their dogs, and the council would provide branded hi-viz vests and dog waste bags to highlight their care for the community and environment. The local authority would also run awareness campaigns on local and social media. 

"I've been in touch with councillors in Kilkenny who introduced a similar scheme, and they tell me that there's a lot less dog fouling of the streets now," Cllr Leigh told the Diary. "It has been very successful there and in other counties, but we are lagging behind on the issue in Kildare." 

The councillor says that in Kildare, dog fouling seems to be 'left to everybody else to deal with'. "In Athy, we put up four dog waste bins, but that was through the Tidy Towns, and I sponsored one myself. In fairness, the council did install them for us, but a Tidy Towns community employment scheme person empties them. The council seems to have recused itself from anything that has to do with dog waste." 

Cllr Leigh, a dog owner himself, emphasises that the vast majority of dog owners are responsible in dealing with their waste. He believes that the visibility of a scheme that says, "I take pride in my dog, AND my environment" is a non-confrontational way to encourage others to take more care. 

He says that paying for the scheme should not be an issue, as there would likely be funds available from An Taisce and similar bodies to cover some of the expense.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy