Council / Praise for plan to involve young people in dog fouling campaign
PLANS to involve young people in a new campaign to stop people leaving dog poo on pavements and in the outdoors has been praised.
Funding totalling £1,000 has been awarded from the Viking community benefit fund for the campaign.
Speaking at a meeting of Lerwick Community Council on Monday evening, Shetland Islands Council’s antisocial behaviour co-ordinator Billy Mycock said the Sound and Bell’s Brae primary schools in town are happy for the team to carry out talks to older children around dog fouling.
As previously reported, the funding will be used for a campaign which will include a competition in schools to potentially design a poster or logo.
Mycock said he was keen to promote positive behaviour, and said that 95 per cent of dog owners clean up.
But he said it is “very difficult” in terms of enforcement when it comes to the small minority of dog fouling offenders.
The meeting heard that some hotspots can include the Clickimin, Sletts path and Sea Road areas.
Mycock said on one occasion in those three areas he had to pick up waste about 50 times, taking about an hour.
“I think it’s worse in the winter and people can get away with it, but also the grass isn’t cut in the winter, so if the grass is long, it’s maybe harder to see it,” he said.
Community councillor James Paton also mentioned the south end of the street as a particularly troublesome area.
Stewart Hay praised Mycock’s plan to involve young people in the campaign, saying it was “really positive”.
“Changing minds and changing attitudes is profoundly difficult,” he said.
“Leaflets and posters help but they tend to be read by the already converted.
“I think young people are our hope and I really commend your efforts with children in the hope that they convey the message.”
Lerwick North and Bressay councillor Stephen Leask added that “young folk is actually going to embarrass adults into doing the right thing, and that for me is what it’s all about”.
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