Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is continuing to put the spotlight on irresponsible dog owners and over 185 owners have been given a £100 Fixed penalty Notice to walk home with!

The message from the Council is clear – if an irresponsible dog owner is found breaching the rules of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) by an Enforcement Officer, the Council will take action and issue a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

In October 2017 the Council was one of the first Local Authorities to introduce strict rules in terms of dog controls, when it put in place a PSPO. Due to the success of this order, it was extended in November 2020 to continue to tackle this disgusting and unsightly issue.

The PSPO measures include:

Dog owners MUST clean up their dogs’ mess immediately and dispose of it properly.
Dog owners MUST carry means to pick up dog mess (i.e. bags) at all times.
Dog owners MUST follow a direction from an authorised officer to put a dog on a lead.
Dogs are BANNED from all schools, children’s play areas and marked sports pitches maintained by the Council.
Dogs MUST be kept on a lead at all times in Council maintained cemeteries.

One of the key concerns the PSPO addressed was dog fouling on sports fields – even if the fouling is picked up, remnants of it will remain on the grass and soil, which is not only disgusting but could also have serious life-changing health consequences.

In a bid to raise awareness and make irresponsible dog owner ‘SIT’ up and take notice, TWO simple messages have been stencilled in key locations across Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The messages are simple ‘NO DOG FOULING’ and ‘NO DOGS ON PITCHES’ and are part of the overall campaign to take action to crack down on those who ignore the rules set out in the PSPO, in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Some irresponsible dog owners decide not to pay the initial £100 FPN and face court action being taken – ultimately ending up with some very costly walkies, as the below offenders have discovered. Their details could also be publicised on the Council’s website and Social Media channels.

In December three people were sent to court for their actions, these included:

A woman allowing her dog to foul in her own community, close to her home – practically on her doorstep in Rhydyfelin! This walk cost her £194! Almost double the initial fine.
A man from Aberdare, allowed his dog to roam free on the restricted area at the Ynys Recreation Grounds. This led to a £300 bill!
A man from Pontypridd, allowed his dog to go into a restricted area in the popular Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, Pontypridd – he was sent home with his tail between his legs and a fine of £374!

All of these could have been avoided if they had followed the rules that are set out under the PSPO for the safety of the public.