on the beach last week ,having cleaned up after my dog (which i always do:)saw hundreds of plastic bottles,the odd nappy.cans and some throwaway bbqs….when will humans learn to clean up after themselves.!!!

They absolutely should have more dog waste bins, and bins in general, on the streets. I’ve no problem picking up after my dog, but I’ve walked up to a mile in the suburbs without coming across a bin, and holding on to a bag full of dog shite for that long is disgusting. I’d say a lot of people don’t bother picking up after their dogs because they’ve no idea where they can then put the bag.

The Council removed a dog waste bin along the Royal Canal because it was ‘too messy’. This was only because they rarely collected it and locals used it a lot so it would overflow. But instead of collecting it more often so people can benefit from it, they figured they’d remove it to make life easier for themselves. There is no bin at all on that section of the canal now.

If they rolled this out nationwide, which they should, they’d have to keep up with the waste collection or it would just return to the way it is now.

We have them on bray beach most people use them although you do the odd person who just keeps walking after their dog has pooped
But the beach is cleaner

Of course it’s the dog owners’ responsibility to pick up their own dog poo!

But by the same token, if you want to promote responsible dog ownership THEN responsible councils have a responsibility to ALL the public to provide receptacles for the poop to deposited into?

I really can’t see why this poll results abrogate ALL the responsibility to owners solely? Surely this is a “societal” issue with everyone having a degree of responsibility to ensure clean places.

Perhaps, if there were more bins in “general” the country wouldn’t look like such a shite hole with rubbish strewn around our beaches and streets? Oh yeah, and you can still argue that people shouldn’t litter and that it’s their own responsibility etc. etc. …

That is a stupid poll question. Of course it is the dog owner’s responsibility to clean up after their dog. But it is also the Council’s responsibility to ensure that litter can be put in bins.

More bins in general are needed around the country. In Waterford nearly everytime I go for a walk I notice a bin has been removed, and in place of that bin is a load of litter.

Of course it’s the dogs owner to look after the waste, but for the 50 percent that said NO to more bins, where do you expect owners to put the waste they pick up?, carry it for an hrs walk??

Yep definitely the owner’s responsibility to pick it up, but there should be bins to collect it. It happens in all other civilised countries, why not this one? As for the comment ‘their dirt, their responsibility’ etc, doesn’t that apply to all litter then?

Yes, most definitely a good idea.

You get what you give and if your view is “I don’t have a dog/child/house etc” so any problems associated with dogcrap/childminding/mortgage issues is not my concern, then you shouldn’t expect anything less then the same disrespect reciprocated.

Why not get rid of all public bins and say that it’s each individual’s responsibility to look after their own waste?

I’m not saying that dog owners shouldn’t clean up their dogs mess, im saying that making it easier to do so is more reasonable then simply saying “your problem, deal with it” and then getting upset when some dog owners don’t want to spend half their walks holding onto dog crap until they can find somewhere to put it!

yes and maybe some sort of fine if they dont pick it up especially if they are near a bin, disgusting trying to navigate a path through poop with my 2 and 4 yr olds, my 4 yr old daughter has gotten so used to it she shouts “watch out for poop” every morning on the walk to school…

The sheer ignorance of the anti-dog brigade here is incredible and is only surpassed by the ignorance of the local authorities who are in some places guilty of removing the very few existing bins. I could predict the poll results before I even cast my vote and viewed them. I’ve noticed from observing the non-pet-owners reactions to meeting my dogs on a walk that Ireland is not a very dog friendly country, not when compared to places such as France. How would those same people feel if they wanted to change their child’s nappy at a restaurant or shopping mall and they were told that there was no disposal provision and that they had to take the child’s soiled nappy home with them to their own bins? How do you like them apples?

Dog owners are taxpayers too so those ‘taxpayers’ who moan about not wanting their money to be used to pay for the provision and emptying of dog waste bins doesn’t bear scrutiny. In fact dog owners pay an additional tax that non dog owners do not, it’s called a dog licence. So, if there’s money to erect sign posts saying that there is a €1000 fine (or more) for not picking up dog dirt, then there’s money to provide bins in lieu of those signs. If there were bins they could put the signs warning of fines on the actual bins, rather than paying to have signs made up especially and creating visual pollution along walks. Besides, the household charge is to be used to fund local services (isn’t that right Big Phil?) so couldn’t the emptying of these bins be included in that?

Most responsible dog owners have NO PROBLEM with picking up their dog’s waste in a ‘poo-bag’ and disposing of that where they can. However, the point is that there are hardly any bins to dispose of it anywhere – particularly along those very walks where there are signs warning of fines. Perhaps the councils and non dog owners think we should put nappies on our dogs like they have done with the horses in Killarney? It is not unusual for myself and my partner to have to do our entire walk with our dog carrying a small plastic bag full of dog waste the entire way. It’s often unpleasant but it has to be done because there is no option when there is nowhere along the walk to dispose of it. So, all of our dog dirt goes in our own bin, at our own home, which we pay for. I imagine it’s the same story for many dog owners where I live – because there is no alternative.

I name Vevay Hill in Bray as the worst place. Because of the narrow path and three large junior schools. Shame on the sneaky offenders.

@BRENDAN – you’ll find I pay for the bins (or lack off) through a thing called DOG LICENCE!!!!

They need to install more human waste bins i.e. Public toilets around the city. The amount of excrement and urine in city lanes is repulsive and I was embarrassed last weekend when all the US visitors arrived around Dublin Castle only to be greeted by piles of s**t & P**s around every turn of the place!!! Come on, can we not organize a pot to p**s in?

In my area council have removed the bins because people have been using them for their household refuse , typical lazy Irish response

There should be more bins. As a dog owner, I always pick up my dogs mess but often walk around with it for an hour r so, as there is no bin in the park area where I live. Every day we meet other dog walkers, all of which are carrying a nice bag of dog mess

I live beside a big park that has bins galore and poop bags at every entrance. People still allow their dogs to foul the park and don’t clean it up. Some people shouldn’t be allowed own dogs.

And while they are at it…can they provide more public bins and fag butt bins!!!!

It should a criminal offence to not clean up after your dog – toxoplasmosis is a very dangerous disease which can result form exposure to dog / cat waste – my children spend half their time walking trying to avoid the ‘poo’ left by some irresponsible dog walker – outside our front door!
Apart from this it’s just plain disrespectful – what if I was to leave my childs dirty nappy outside someone’s front door!

It is the responsibility of the dog owner, but the sad fact is that as a nation we don’t appear to pay much heed to that fact. As such, I support more dog bins. I would rather see the bins than the poop. I agree that we also need many more bins in general and that they should be emptied more frequently.

Ballyfoyle rd Kilkenny, could do with some thanks.

im surprised they didnt include “I dont know” as an answer choice…. stupid question really as the answer is blatantly obvious.

The people saying is this relevant YES its very relevant! We have a beautiful big park near where I live but you have to be so friggin careful when out there because of all the dog crap. I have two small children and I have to watch them like a hawk in case they step in or pick up dog poo, I also go jogging there and the amount of times I’v arrived home with my runners destroyed then attempting to clean them while trying not to vomit. Its a problem on the pavement too where I’v gone through it with the buggy. Realistically there probably isnt any money for more bins, but this is just something people take on when they choose to get a dog. Why not buy those scented bags for babies nappies, they’re cheap enough for a box of about 100, then place this into a larger plastic bag again so you dont have to see or smell it. Dog owners please think!!

I always bag my dogs’ poos and carry the bags, leads and my other accoutrements with me until I’m back at home, whereupon I put the poo bags (I can have as many as 6 of them by the time the walk is done) into my outside bin at home.

Dog owners should clean up after their dogs. And I don’t understand why they cannot carry the poo bags and bin them at home. Instead, some folks bag the poo and then leave the poo bags in the park! That’s being lazy and irresponsible.

Also, what’s the deal with dog owners picking up the dirt in plastic bags then dumping the plastic bag somewhere? Surely it’s better to leave it on the ground in it’s natural state than it is to wrap it in plastic and dump it back on the ground. Weird mentality.

Enforce the litter laws.

Mallow, the whole place is dreadful. Children can go blind or die from dog waste, sure its biodegradable but it needs to be cleaned up to protect kids, kids are always running and falling and can’t look out for themselves.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/child-who-fell-in-dog-poo-may-go-blind-20100819-12rr3.html

A toddler who fell in dog poo in a playground could lose the sight in one of her eyes, it was reported on Thursday.

Amiee Langdon, who will be two next week, put her hand down as she tumbled over, then wiped her left eye.

She was taken to hospital by her mother Suzanne, 29, from Fallowfield, Manchester, where tests confirmed she had picked up the infection toxocariasis, which is spread by dog poo.

It resulted in optical lobe cellulosis, which can lead to blindness and even death if not treated within 72 hours.

Better off spending the money on a warden even part time to fine heavily people who allow their animal to defecate and do not clean it up, and those who allow their dog off the lead. I’m sick of my daughter getting frightened and crying when a loose dog walks up to her because a selfish owner does not have it under lead control.

There should be more litterbins generally. And of course there should be bins to put the bags of dog waste in; then there’s no excuse for leaving it where the dog deposits it.

I seen one guy out with his dog and he pick up the dogs mess and put it in a bag then dropped the bag on the ground and walked off.

The country is broke. We cannot afford these bins. Can we spend the money on our hospitals instead please and I’ll happily continue to pick up my dogs poo and carry it for hours.

GET A FU**ING LIFE, AND DON’T WRITE THIS SHIT, WE ARE IN RECESSION , NOBODY CARES ABOUT DOG SHIT

No

Maybe someone could explain why so many have dogs anyway these days – seems to be more than ever before?
Given the recession seems odd given the expense.

BTW you’d think in parks etc. they’d have a compost bin that never needs emptying anyway – great free fertilizer for the park gardeners!