Mum cries foul (From Warrington Guardian)

Mum cries foul

A MOTHER who was tired of dodging dog pooh has sent a message to inconsiderate pet owners.

Lynne Singleton, 35, erected a hand-written sign outside her house that warned residents to stop animals fouling the area.

"We're fed up with the kids standing in it and then having to go out there with a shovel," she said.

"Why don't they allow their dogs to do it in their own garden?"

For months the family, who live in Grove Park, Knutsford, have stepped out of their car and accidentally put their shoes in the mess.

About two weeks ago Lynne, a part-time adult education teacher, erected the sign that said: Please do not allow your dog to pooh here. Last week she said pet owners would hopefully heed the warning and consider the street's appearance and safety. "It's not a very nice thing to do and it's a health hazard," she said.

"You just hope that people will have a conscience and take their dogs somewhere like the woodland."

The Singletons had two pet dogs, an Alsatian and a terrier, for more than 16 years.

Sales manager Peter, 38, has a cousin who was blinded in one eye after she fell in dog pooh as a two-year-old and contracted a disease.

On Thursday Lynne, who has three young children, said her family had never allowed their pets to foul outside someone's home.

"If we didn't have time to take them for a walk we opened the back door and then cleaned it up ourselves," she said."We are dog lovers and we've got nothing against dog owners. There are a lot of responsible dog owners out there. It's just a pain that some aren't."

A dog bin will be sited on the Heath in the New Year and Knutsford town councillors hope more will appear over the next 12 months.

Last month Macclesfield Borough Council also announced plans to install two new dog bins on the Moor so officials had more power to fine pet owners who flouted the law. Offenders now face a £50 on-the-spot penalty if they fail to clean up after their dogs and those who do not pay are fined up to £1,000. A £169 green-coloured bin first appeared on the Moor more than seven months ago after an angry resident left a hand-written sign telling dog owners to clean up after their pets.