‘It looks like elephants did it’ – Call for owners to be named and shamed over dog fouling on streets

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

Dog fouling “so bad it looks like elephants had done it” is littering the town centre pavements in Dundalk, councillors warned at a Municipal District meeting.

Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Robert Nash, called for “more visibility of litter vans” later in the day, as a lot of littering incidents are occurring in the evening.

"I really believe we need to engage the litter wardens out of hours. They are finishing at 5pm and people are coming out at six or seven at night to dump. It’s too easy.”

Cllr. Nash added: “It’s the same in the morning, people are out walking at 6am or 7am and letting their dogs foul, because there is no litter wardens.”

“Even if the vans were there it would be a deterrent. We could do it for a short period of time until we get it under control. I do think it needs to be done.”

Cllr. Kevin Meenan said: “Dog fouling is a huge problem in the main streets, a huge problem.”

A walk through the town centre recently “really showed me how bad it is.. some of it is like elephants had done it, they are huge.”

Cllr. Meenan added: “They really should be named and shamed as it is so easy to pick up your dog litter.”

The fouling creates a hazard for pedestrians “for people walking in and out of shops, and kids walking to school.”

"It is a really lousy thing to do, not to pick it up,” said Cllr. Meenan.