Churchtown locals are furious about an increase of dog litter in the area and are calling on the local council for more bins.

Local Councillor Daniel Dunne (GP) told Dublin Gazette that dog fouling is a “real problem” and a “threat to the health of our children.”

“People arrive home to find that their child’s buggy or their wheelchair is full of faeces. Then there are the people who pick up their dogs’ dirt, put it in plastic and throw it into a bush. That really annoys me.”

Cllr Dunne said more bins are needed to tackle the problem.

He said: “We need more bins and we need more litter wardens to catch those who do not take responsibility for their pet’s waste.

“Dog owners, please bag it and bin it. If you don’t you are an anti-social nuisance,” added Cllr Dunne.

Cllr Anne Colgan (IND) said more campaigns are needed.

“The council has run several campaigns to encourage dog owners to take responsibility and pick up after their dogs and these campaigns need to be run on a continuous basis.

“I would encourage local people to report dog littering to the dog warden service in the council.

“I will be asking the Council to introduce targeted Dog Warden patrols in the Churchtown areas that are having serious problems and to enforce the fines.”

Gillian Bird from the DSPCA agreed that more bins are needed but that should not be an excuse for dog owners.

“Picking up dog waste is one of the basic dog owner responsibilities. Dogs can poo anywhere at any time and it must be picked up then and there. Throwing it into the nearest bushes or hanging it in a tree is not acceptable.

“Yes, it is a disgusting thing to carry a warm smelly bag but that is your legal and moral obligation to dispose of it in the correct way. If you don’t like picking up after your dog, then you should not have one!

“Yes, more bins are needed but it is not an excuse – pick it up and bring it home like a responsible pet owner!”

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council told Dublin Gazette that they are “very pro-active in relation to dog fouling” but that they do not have sufficient resources to service litter bins in local parks.

“If there is a problem with dogs in a particular area, our Dog Warden will carry out targeted patrols of that area.

“Over the summer months, additional patrols were carried out in our parks at weekends.

“We primarily provide litter bins in our Regional Parks e.g. Marlay, Cabinteely, Killiney Hill which are considered to be significant visitor attractions and have a very large catchment.

“Unfortunately, we do not have sufficient resources to service litter bins in local parks and open spaces and it is considered that the people who use these areas are local and will bring their litter home with them,” said the spokesperson.

Dog fouling is an offence under the Litter Pollution Act, and anyone identified not picking up after their pet will be issued with an on-the-spot fine of €150 and could be subject to a fine of up to €4,000 if convicted in court.