Unidentified dogs have been causing Fife owners grief
By Anna Gault
A SCOTS council has started seizing the pay of dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets.
In the first known cases in Scotland, at least four dog owners who failed to pay fouling fines had the money taken directly from their wages.
Fife hopes the draconian step will help tackle the menace of filthy streets in Scotland.
It was revealed last week that many councils are failing to use their legal powers to slap fines on pet owners who allow their animals to foul pavements.
Stirling Council, it emerged, had only fined 13 dog owners in six years.
Other poorly-performing councils include Aberdeenshire with 11 fines over the same period and Clackmannanshire with nine. Orkney has not handed out a single fine for dog fouling.
But some authorities, such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, imposed hundreds of fixed penalty tickets.
Councils have the power to fine dog owners 40 for fouling, rising to 60 if they fail to pay within 28 days. Refusing to give your name can reslt in a fine of 500.
Graeme Anderson, Fife’s technical officer for dog control, said:
“Over 80 fixed penalty notices were issued in Fife last year. The majority of people fined, paid.
“However, a small number did not and sheriff officers recovered the money, arresting people’s wages in some instances. “
He added:
“We want to emphasise the importance of responsible behaviour in dog owners.
“No member of the public wants to tread on dog poo.
“As well as it being anti-social, it’s also a health hazard. “
Mr Anderson confirmed that at least four people had their wages arrested last year.
He said the amount would have been in the region of 150 because Sheriff Officer’s fees were added to the 60 fine.
In addition, culprits had the embarrassment of their employers knowing they had failed to pay a fine for letting their pet foul the pavement.
Sheriff Officers write to employers, instructing them to hand over the fine in instalments.
