Oxford City Council is set to launch a campaign on Monday 24 September to encourage Blackbird Leys’ dog owners to clean up after their pets.
Councillors, parish councillors and City Council officers will be joined by local volunteers over the next two weeks in speaking to dog walkers and giving out free dog poo bags.
The aim of the campaign is to encourage responsible dog ownership to make Blackbird Leys’ and Greater Leys’ parks and open spaces a cleaner environment for everyone.
Residents have raised concerns about dog fouling in Blackbird Leys’ parks and open spaces, particularly Blackbird Leys Park and Gillian’s Park.
It is an offence for dog owners not to clean up after their pets. Owners can be issued with an £100 fixed penalty notice and, if prosecuted, a court can issue a fine of up to £1000.
Dog poo can be placed in bags and put in dog poo bins, which are located at entrances and exits in all Blackbird Leys’ parks, or double bagged and put in litter bins.
As part of the campaign, officers and councillors will also remind dog owners of the legal requirement that all dogs are micro-chipped.
Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman, John Dillon, said: “Most of the dog walkers I meet every day in the park clear up their dog mess, but there are days when it’s obvious some don’t bother.
“So we the local parish councillors and partners just want to highlight the problem asking people to be more thoughtful to our fellow friends and neighbours. The vast majority of people who live here really do care about each other’s needs, so our message is to those very few people, please be more thoughtful and make our lovely estate a cleaner and tidier place for us all to live together”.
Councillor Linda Smith, Deputy Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “It is important that we address residents’ concerns around dog fouling in the Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys area.
“We want everyone to feel that they can use and enjoy their local park, which is why we’re carrying out this campaign over the next two weeks.”
Oxford residents can report dog fouling, dangerous dogs and lost and stray dogs by visiting www.oxford.gov.uk/dogs.
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