Dog mess - Page 2

We live over in Playa Los Locos.  We keep to walking in the road as the pavements are covered in dog shite and black with dog piss.  Real shame as the area is so beautiful. How can people do this the area where they live.

I live in Cabo Roig and, sad to say, a walk down towards the beach highlights the same problem.  As there are so many complaints, can we do anything via this Forum to bring this problem some attention Jan??

Regards

Shirley

Hello King 57.  Dogs here are a real problem. I actually hate them. However you are not in England and I mean that in a nice way.  I lived in a very nice clean seaside resort on the south coast in England. No dog problems just drugs, knives, car and property crimes, no go areas and lots of rain.  Don't let dogs spoil what could be a very nice retirement for you. You are in a very nice area where you could have a happy retirement.

Not just me then? Thank goodness!  Dog fowling spoils what could otherwise be a pleasant leisurely walk or a brisk one at that. I feel I am playing Hop-Scotch in the WHOLE of Santa Pola from the time I leave home until I reach my destination. As it rarely rains, the problem is worse. When it does rain it is either not heavily enough to wash it all away or it is out of the reach of rain such as peeing on the wall. It is so unpleasant that I was thinking of going to the 'Departamento de Urbanizacion', should there be one. I have to confess, I was secretly beginning to think my action might sound somewhat unhinged or extreme but I see I am not the only one for whom it is an issue. Someone mentioned it is dividing the community, I strongly sense this too. I am willing to support an initiative or idea that could lead to solving this problem and making clean footpaths and public areas clean ones. As I child, I lived in Australia where littering was common. A concerted, televised campaign to portray littering as very, very antisocial and undesirable has greatly transformed the streets of Melbourne. I think any effort could be well worth it. By the way, I will still be going to the Departament de Urbanizacion at Santa Pola Town Hall, even if it may seem a bit excentric. I don't feel unstable anymore for intending to do so.

S

Hi all

After originating this topic a couple of weeks ago, I have sat back and read all your replies which I must say have been positive in the sense that we are all appalled by this

Now we have a consensus of opinion we need to move forward. Unfortunately this is where my ignorance comes in as I do not live full time in Spain and do not know their procedures

Can anyone help with this?

I look forward to your thoughts 

KR

Andy

Hello Andy and other contributers,

Firstly I would like to say that it does not go unnoticed, as can been seen in this thread, that there are many responsible, conscientious dog owners who do pick up dog mess and that doing so has become second nature to them. I have also noticed that many carry plastic water bottles to splash over pee. This reduces the unsightliness of the stains, the smell and any health risks. Thank you to you all for doing so and for setting an example to those who don’t.

I have just gone to the Santa Pola Council’s Site to see if they have a ‘Departamento de Urbanizacion’ or something to that effect. I noticed a Q&A section and found a letter, in Spanish, complaining with the same level of disgust and frustration as in this Dog Mess thread on the forum. The letter suggests that there are rules and regulations regarding dog mess in place but these are being ignored and/or not enforced. My guess is that the Councils on the Costa are aware of the problem and further complaints fall on deaf ears. This question in Q&A had not been replied to, others had. The thought that the Council may have become desensitised to this is worrying. That being the case, any collective complaint would have to have impact enough to move to resolve the problem not just a show of effort.

I wonder what is the best way to do this, what is more important at this stage: good ideas, a large number of complaints to ensure some action? Would brainstorming on the forum produce any ideas that could lead to cleaner streets? How about putting pressure as a collective on the councils to the point they tire? How to do this? One thing I am sure of is that it would have to be as a either a collective or many, many, many individual complaints. The odd complaint in Santa Pola, another in Guardamar, five in Torrevieja and two in Denia every other summer is not going to be effective. 

This is my own brainstorming. I am not politically minded and have never engaged in anything of an activist nature but it matters enough to me to make a start. Councils would need to fear real consequences, like the dog mess affecting the number of tourists to a level that makes a difference. I know Santa Pola hose down the public plaza/square every morning but nowhere else.

I seem to remember but cannot be sure as I was a child at the time that, in the part of Australia where I lived, a licence was required to have a dog and proof of it was on the dogs’ collar for any authority to check. Dogs without collars were taken away. The income from a measure like this could be used to clean the streets. How about a dog DNA bank where samples can be identified? Now, I am just being extreme (or not) but I would like to see whatever it takes implemented so that we don’t have to tread on mess or walk around gaze-down to make sure we don’t.  I hope not to antagonise responsible dog owners who, through no fault of theirs, could be affected.

The streets are absolutely disgusting, smelly and unhealthy with both mess on the ground and pee on the walls.

It is such a shame that the attractiveness of the urban areas on the Costa is being spoiled/ruined by dog mess. Any ideas anyone?

Comments from the forum area ambassadors are welcome.

BW

Sally

Hi Sally, although I don't live in your area  we are plagued with the same problem. Perhaps we could get a petition up on the forum for members to sign and  print off  and ask other neighbours and friends to sign then present to the appropriate departments. Another thought I had was to maybe find out if any of the free papers in English and Spanish would highlight the problem of dog mess/urine stains etc in and around Torrevieja areas.  (Would we be able to photograph the perpetrators??? or just their pet???) perhaps if the above threat was made clear in the paper it may help a bit.

My next door neighbour keeps an aviary on his balcony  and also feeds all the birds in the district, so you can imagine what my terrace and furniture is like, sometimes it can be pretty disgusting and very noisy at all hours, I have complained and complained but nothing is done, they just keep sending letters to the owner as the person in question rents. I've now bought a water pistol.

 I count myself lucky really as one of my friends in another building had a neighbour who kept a pig on their balcony for a number of years. They only got rid when it died.

I live on a small urbanisation between Torrevieja and Punta Prima 

regards

Inconsiderate owners are everywhere we live in Montegolf, and have same problem with dog mess not being picked up.

Those who are leaving this disgusting mess never do it when anyone is around and can be challenged.

Last year on two occasions someone allowed their dog to foul the pavement right outside our apartment building, why should i have to clean up after their dog? I already clean up after my own.

It gets worse during the summer, i really would love to see someone not picking up after their dog i would have something to say to them.

Dogs not allowed on Playa Los Locos.  During the day there are some dogs on the beach.  During the evening there are many dogs on the beach.  Police walk along the beach front area.  Police cars drive along the beach front area.  They never do anything.  Next day parents and children are playing on the beach.

As I stressed early on on this topic. Banning dogs from everywhere is not the solution, they have to go somewhere and if there's nowhere for them to run and exercise they become frustrated and troublesome. 

The problem is with the owners and the law enforcement or rather the lack of it. 

The law is in place apparently but not enforced, that it is an offence not to pick up after your dog.

The authorities seem to think that just banning them from public places is the answer but irresponsible dog owners will just go elsewhere and let their dogs mess and not clean up after them, such as residential streets.

If it was taken seriously and people were reported, photographed, fined on the spot etc. it would have an effect.

Put pressure on the authorities to give the dog owners some areas where they can exercise their dogs and fine them if they do not pick up.

That's how it works now in the UK. Dogs are allowed on beaches in off season and allocated areas in playing fields and parks BUT people are vigilant, speak up and tell owners to pick up if they see them walk away, and report them. 

NAME AND SHAME!!

And the authorities do prosecute and fine and the results are very noticeable.

There are more dogs per household than ever before so theres no point hoping they'll go away, and the authorities have to acknowledge this and deal with it realistically.

I'm sorry I'm only an occasional visitor or else I would organise something but it has to be down to the permanent residents, who know how the system works and whose complaints are more likely to be taken notice of.

You must form a pressure group and get hundreds of signatures and don't give up.