Dogs fall foul of local councillors

Wayward dogs that leave an unpleasant calling card behind have fallen foul of the Inishowen Electoral Area Committee. The issue of dog fouling on both Moville Green and the walking route from Ned’s Point to Father Hegarty’s Rock may have raised a few giggles when it was raised by Councillors Michael Doherty and Rena Donaghey but all Councillors agreed it was a “very, very serious issue,” which impacted both health and tourism. Councillor Rena Donaghey revealed that a contingent of visitors who untook an expedition to Buncrana each Sunday have now decided not to do so, due to the huge amount of dog waste on the route to Father Hegarty’s Rock. She said: “I was talking to a man who was telling me how much he loves Buncrana. He informed me that himself and about ten others frequently leave home early every Sunday and go for a walk around Fr Hegarty’s Rock. They then stayed in the town and went and had a bite to eat and maybe a few drinks. “However, he said they just weren’t going to be able to do it any longer because the dog fouling on the road at Fr Hegarty’s Rock had got so bad.” Councillor Michael Doherty, who first raised the issue, said it was also a big problem at Moville Green. Councillor Martin Farren agreed and said a large part of the problem related to dogs which were not on a leash. He said: “I go to the Green quite a lot myself and it is a problem. A lot of dogs are not on a lead, they’re running all around the Green so it’s very different to pinpoint and say to somebody ‘Your dog did that,’ “It’s a serious problem and well worth looking at to see of we can come to terms with something like that.” Councillor Padraig MacLochlainn said dog owners “have a responsibility” to ensure their dog is kept under control. He said: “It gets a laugh when it is raised but its very, very serious matter. There are children playing around that Green and there’s a real risk of toxoplasmosis, which leads to the loss of sight – it’s a serious health risk.” “Dog owners have a responsibility, nobody is allowed to have a dog out without a leash, it is a very, very serious matter.”