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Senior Animal Control Officer Steve Clarke, Animal Control Officer Bryce Alexander and mascot Fergus with the new signage about picking up dog poo.

Media Release

Friday 17 February

Pick up pooches’ poo, dog owners told

A campaign to keep Selwyn District townships and shoes free of dog poo is being launched by the Council’s Animal Control team.

With a burgeoning human and dog population, Council staff want dog owners to be aware they need to take responsibility for their canine companions.

“We’re appealing to dog walkers and owners who care about their local environment to do the right thing. You can recycle a couple of plastic bags to collect the doggy-do, or call into the Council office or service centres to pick up some doggy-do bags,” Senior Animal Control Officer Steve Clarke says.

“A small number of non-compliant owners don’t pick up after their dogs. We’ve made a decision that we will have zero tolerance on this. Owners will be fined $300 if their dog leaves a deposit and they don’t clean it up.”

It is also an offence under the Selwyn Dog Control Bylaw if dog walkers don’t carry suitable dog poo removal receptacles.

New signage will be installed around Selwyn townships, to make dog owners aware of the campaign and fines.

“We’ve used our mascot Fergus in the signage to attract attention to the issue. He’s a great hit with kids in the area when we’re talking about dog control,” Mr Clarke says.

Residents are able to report dog fouling incidents by calling the Helpline on 347 2800 or Darfield 318 8338 or email animalcontrol@selwyn.govt.nz.

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