Dog fouling spotted by enforcement officers costs owner £387.52

A woman from Banwen ended up paying £387.52 after her dog was seen fouling an area of grass by two Neath Port Talbot Council enforcement officers who had been patrolling in a van.

At Swansea Magistrates’ Court on March 23rd 2023, the owner of a small white dog, Stacey Richards, 37, of Roman Road, Banwen, was fined £40 after admitting an offence under The Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996.

Miss Richards was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £16 and costs of £331.52.

The court heard the incident happened on August 22nd, 2022, when the dog was seen by the enforcement officers fouling an area of grass next to a lane at Roman Road.

The dog was then seen to go into the rear garden of a property in Roman Road, entering via a space below a fence.
Miss Richards was spoken to at the property by the officers and admitted being the owner of the dog. She was then issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice.
Despite being given extra time to pay the Fixed Penalty Notice, and having received two reminder letters, no payment was received from Miss Richards, so a decision was taken to prosecute.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene, Cllr Scott Jones, said: “Enforcement is key to tackling the minority of dog-owners who blight the environment and risk public health and this case is a reminder of the consequences of not picking up after pets.”

Around 100 cases of toxocariasis are diagnosed each year in the UK. Local authorities in the UK receive approximately 226,000 complaints about dog fouling every year

The cost to British taxpayers of clearing up after dogs is estimated to be around £2.3 million per year.