A dog's instinct is to mark their territory. When one dog has soiled an area, the next dog will probably do the same.
It would be nice if the Concil could use a machine to regularly wash and sweep pavements.

dog AND his owner - that really is beyond the pale

Maybe the owner was marking his territory too or trying to outdo his dog - that made me laugh this morning

I do clear up after my dog (the bag are very cheap on ebay) but it would help if there were more bin to put in around, maybe special one just for that like they have in the parks.

Grrr, on my way to HOP Station yesterday, I counted 7 huge big turds in varying, unappealing shades of brown and green (!) in Gabriel Street and Grierson Road. Perhaps we should take inspiration from anti-graffity action in the 1980's, where once spayed on, the wall sprayed back. Now if only the asphalt could to the same and maybe bounce the turd right off the surface and into the offending owner's face. They wouldn't be doing THAT again.

I suspect a good proportion of these owners are not walking to the station to go to work but receive generous hand outs from HMG.
I could be of course totally wrong. Always baffled me that people in that situation can afford doggie food.
Bring back the dog license. I know it was only 7/6 when abolished ( 37.5p for younger people ). To allow for costs of fouling and anoyance to neighbours etc should be about the same as car license.

I think we're starting to see some movement [sorry ;-)]. Today is the council's action day in CP ward - see post #24 above).

Some of the yellow signs on the footpath have been re-sprayed and we just got the attached through our letterbox - presumably this is going to all residences in the ward.

  PooLetter.pdf (Size: 54.95 KB / Downloads: 429)

If this issue bothers you please keep pinging your councillors about it.

Yes, we got one of those letters as I suppose did everyone in the area.

I suspect the Council are taking too much of a softly softly approach. I am not impressed with the yellow pavement signs which look like some sort of sub-Banksy urban graffitti. They look too lighthearted for what is a serious matter.

I think what we need is signs on the lamposts detailing the potential fines. I mean, you can get fined for chucking an apple core out of your car or leaving a fag end on the street. Neither of which cause toxoplasmosis.

As you've suggested BarCar, will be onto councillor again if no improvement.....

Time to introduce the dung beetle into SE23, me thinks.
I can imagine the little chaps now, rolling their trophies along Devonshire Rd, happy as larry....

Oryx, Lewisham Council is not taking a softly, softly approach to what is a very serious subject, and is just one of the current demonstrations of irresponsible dog ownership. That is why I have asked council officers to have these days, and to distribute letters on the issue. That is also why we have reintroduced the "Bag it and Bin it" stencils, which do have the effect of reducing this unpleasant and unhealthy byproduct. Lewisham Council will be distributing publicity on responsible dog ownership, which includes information on the fines that will be charged to those owners caught allowing their dogs to foul indiscriminately in the borough. Most dog owners are responsible, but there is a trend amongst the trophy dog owners to see it as not macho to clear up after their dogs! This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in Lewisham.

Thank you for the response however you are assuming that trophy dog owners can read.

Instead of leaflets (given the level of junk mail we all get through our door which goes unread) why can you not organise more CPO's to be out and about in effected areas to give a more visable presence?

They have painted a yellow pavement sign just outside our front door. I would have preferred if they had done it somewhere else like a couple of meters away near our wall instead of in front of our path as now I have a yellow dog pooing stencilled outside my front door that I have to walk on everyday. I may get our cats to poo on it.

Ghis, without knowing where you live, I can't say whether the sign is in an deliberately inconvenient position. However, did you contact the council as soon as it happened, because we may have been able to have ihad t removed? If you want me to investigate whether that can still be done, please email me with your details to cllr_susan.wise@lewisham.gov.uk. As to your cats pooing on it, I don't think that any cat would be so indiscreet as to poo so publicly on the pavement, do you?

I've always thought that these stencils are nearly as offensive as the thing they're intended to deter. Far better to display official bye-laws on signs rather than what looks like graffiti on pavements.

Susan, I will mail you. If it could be moved a few meters to be where the walls are instead of where the entrances of the properties are it would be great. We fully suport the stencils but it would be better not to have it outside the entrances of properties. (Re cats ours are too posh to push outside the house or anywhere else but in their organic cat litter anyway)

Ghis, I look forward to your email and I'll see what can be done to address this

Now I know it's early days, and I do appreciate that the Council is taking some action, but if the last few days are anything to go by, there is some (rather unpleasant!) evidence that some people have not taken the campaign very seriously.

In the context of anecdotal/media-reported evidence of people being 'done' for chucking apple cores or fag butts away carelessly (not necessarily in Lewisham) I do think careless dog owners are being treated with kid gloves. We need some notices about punitive fines. And we need some evidence that people are being fined.

Litter like apples cores or fag butts is something people should dispose of responsibly - yes. But unlike dog poo, said type of litter does not have the potential to carry toxplasmosis.

Bring back the dog licence as well, then owners are traceable and may think twice before they let their dog carry disease all over the pavements!

Dog Poo stencil sorted! Thanks Susan! They removed the one outside the front door path on Wednesday last week.

I phoned up the council this morning because my bin had not been emptied properly (they just reach in and take out the bin bag) for a few weeks, and for about 3 weeks now there had been small bags of dog waste left in the bottom of the bin. I explained this and was told (quite rudely)the black bin was for food waste only and not for dog waste, she asked was there and dog waste bin I told her no. So what are responsible dog owners to do when they clear up after their dog???? They are so worried about putting down the stencils what about some bins. Maybe if there were some more bins people might be more inclined to clear up after their dog.
I have seen other threads on here about dog mess on the pavements. I do what is right and I am still doing wrong

Just hide it better next time!