Officers in West Lindsey, England will be addressing the rampant dog doo problem…by spraying it bright orange.
That’s right. They’ll be patrolling the area for poo piles, then “highlighting” the issue with orange spray paint. The hope is that passers-by will see how bad the problem really is, and hopefully, pup parents will be encouraged to pick up after their pooches (or at least, too ashamed not to).
According to The Gainsborough Standard, Councillor Owen Bierley, Chairman of the Prosperous Communities Committee at West Lindsey District Council, explained:
“People may question why we are spraying the poo orange, instead of picking it up straight away.
The truth is that despite our best efforts to educate people on clearing up after their dogs and issuing fixed penalty notices, dog fouling is a huge issue in parts of the district.
We hope this visual campaign will highlight the extent of the problem, and force dog owners to think twice before walking away from their pet’s mess.”
If the poop is still not picked up by the owner, officers will clean it up within a week. There are free bags available for public use, so really, there’s no excuse.
And aside from the unpleasant possibility of stepping into a smelly mound and having it smear all over your shoes (or worse), animal excrement can pose some serious environmental hazards.
However, according to comments on the The Gainsborough Standard Facebook page, locals aren’t too impressed with this “creative” solution.
“Who’s bright “Orange” idea was that one?? Wasting money and time “again”…. Better spent having a warden walk the areas to fine dog owners!!!” Writes one top commenter.
“What a waste of time. It wont embarrass owners at all. And bright orange dog mess every flipping where!! Good call gainsborough town council,” writes another.
What do you think: is shaming dog owners into picking up after their dogs a “bright” idea, or does it just plain “stink” ?
(h/t: The Gainsborough Standard)
