Call to stop fouling on sports pitches

The issue of dog fouling on city sports pitches is being tackled by The Highland Council following complaints by Highland Rugby Football Club about fouling on their home ground at Canal Park.

Members of the rugby club were particularly concerned about the health hazard to young players who regularly train and play on these pitches.

Now the Council is assisting dog owners to help the Rugby Club by highlighting the issue of dog fouling and increasing the number of dog bins in the Bught Park area.

Douglas Wilby, Highland Council’s Area Community Learning and Leisure Manger said:  “We are keen to see the public use our open spaces for a variety of sporting and recreational uses and we would want to encourage dog owners to enjoy them every bit as much as rugby players. Most dog owners act responsibly and understand why sports pitches must be kept clean for sports use and this is why we are trying to make it easier for them to do this.”

While the Council is promoting responsible use it is also reminding those who might be tempted to be less responsible that there are financial penalties for dog fouling.

Inverness City Manager David Haas said: “There is a maximum penalty of £400 for anyone caught dog fouling in the area. The legal requirement is that dogs in areas used by the public are always kept on a lead and that their owners clear up after them. While we would rather that people acted in a responsible manner, we do have dog wardens who have got a responsibility for taking enforcement action when this is necessary.
 
“The Council wants to see open spaces being enjoyed by the whole community and sports clubs like Highland Rugby Club continuing to enjoy using open spaces for training and welcoming visiting teams harmoniously with all other open space users, including dog owners.”
 
-ends-