Environmental Health and my dog...? :(

blue_moon_fairie

Hello, my first post on here, and im not awfully sure if am in the right place, but here goes,

Earlier this year i had a note through my door from Environmental health reguarding my dog pooping in my garden and household waste( my garden is a roof top terrace) id never been more shocked because yes my dog poops on the roof, and i go out and clean it up, and as for household waste, its actually bags of soil from the previous tennant that the landlord hasnt removed, anyway they came out said no problem and went,

forward 6months and again reported for dog pooping, this time they also have photo evidence of apparently 'several weeks' worth of dog poop.....now i dont really know what to do about this, my dog is very large, and he poops quite a bit, and several weeks worth well id expect to be wading in poop...but im not, my situation changed last year and ill be the first to admit that my garden is neglected, and with reguards to the dog poop i have to leave it until my days off every 3 days, this is because ive a two year old and i go to work in the dark, i come home in the dark and now there is just the two of us,
so am now wondering what if anything i can do about the complaints, i feel as if its going to be on going, and am literally trying my best, no neoghtbours have ever approached me about this issue, and i wouldve explained there is only me working all gods hours and that I am getting everything done when i have time, im certainly not lazy or just cant be arsed, i love my dog very much and i dont want to give him up, but am so worried about it, has anyone else had issues with dogs pooping or even been a neighbour reporting cos i dont know how to deal with this or what can/will happen?

sorry for the long post, also sorry if this is the wrong place for this to be,

katie

sheramber

If you donlt have time ( a few seconds) to pick up poo when do you walk your dog or give it any exercise?

I deally, it should poo on a walk and you can pick it up as you go.

tomtontom

Three days mess for a dog that you admit goes quite a bit? As well as the (lack of) exercise issue I'd be concerned about your child handling it.

greenval

My dog poops in my garden more often than when he is out for a walk and yes it's dark in the garden but I go out with him armed with poo bags and more importantly a torch. I did tell my immediate neighbours that I do this a I don't want to be mistaken for 'Bob the Burglar'

artbaron

You have to wait for your day off to pick up a piece of dog crap? Exactly how big is this dog?

My worry is not your neighbours and it's certainly not your work commitments, which are shared by about 20 million people in this country who manage without issue, but that your dog is left alone in the dark in a garden full of its own crap all day. When does it get exercised? When does it go for walks and play with other dogs and run about? If you can't pick up a piece of crap then you shouldn't be owning a dog, maybe think about your dog's welfare a little. In the time it took you to come here and make a post you could have cleaned your garden up and taken your dog for a walk.

gettingready

blue_moon_fairie wrote: »

Earlier this year i had a note through my door from Environmental health reguarding my dog pooping in my garden and household waste( my garden is a roof top terrace)

Sorry but can you expand on this one? Do you live in a flat or some sort of conversion? Are there people above you /on the sides that can see/smell this? Do they overlook this mess?

I understand you came in here for advise but honestly if you have no time to pick up dog's poo - when do you walk this poor dog?

You say you have a 2yo child - who stays with the child when you "work all hours" - could not this person look after the dog/garden too?

I have a large dog, 40kg - she poops twice per day. If your dog poops much more frequently - perhaps you need to change dog food you are feeding?

Please come back and give more info, I am sure if you love your dog as you say you do - you must appreciate people's concern with the situation. Not just yours with EH but also this dog's welfare while in your care

TBagpuss

dog fouling in your own garden is classed as a nuisance - the next legal step would be an abatement notice and you can be taken to court if you breach that. Search 'dog fouling' on your local council website, as different councils have different by-laws.

How much is too much will depend on things such as the size of the garden, the quantity of mess and how much it affects neighbours - so a for a large dog in a small garden, allowing 2-3 days mess to accumulate may be too much, whereas if you had a smaller dog or a larger garden you might be OK going several days. If the garden is overlooked by neighbours or there are windows opening onto it, then yes, 3 days worth of c**p from a large dog is too much.

I would suggest that you get a good torch or fit a solar powered outside light and then clean up as soon as you get in from work each day.

It's also possible that the mess it what is being reported because something gets done about it. Is your dog out all day? If so, is it possible that he is barking or otherwise disturbing the neighbours, or that they are concerned for his welfare?

It might be worth you asking your neighbours whether they are bothered by the dog - they may not feel able to tell you if there is a problem, but if you ask, they may tell you there are issues other the the mess.

warmhands.coldheart

Sorry but I'd recommend you get rid of the dog. By your own addition you work all the hours god sends and have a child to look after.... Get your priorities right and give/rehome the dog with someone who has the time to give it the required attention...

blue_moon_fairie

This is my Thread,
To answer the few questions, my dog is pretty elderly now, so id not want to give him away, he gets walked twice a day as a matter of fact because my neighbour takes him first thing with her dog, and i take him when i get home, as for me not having time for him, hes pretty happy to lay on my sofa during the day and like i said he gets walked often and is well cared for, and yes we go to the park on my days off,
secondly its a roof garden, its basically we live in a large flat over shops and part of the outside space expands over a shop about a story up, theres only one person that can see into it from that high up so am well aware of who has the problem, and its not the issue of going out and collecting it up, because the roof holds water...its flat...and very treacherous in the dark, ive fallen a few times and as theres only me if i had an accident out there am going to be stuck out with my kid in doors,
and as for my child handling poop....im a good mom, i work had and i pay for him, do you really think id let him 1, on a roof unsupervised?...and 2 to handle dog poop? Also my child goes to a childminder in the day time that is who watches him,
and as a side not, the roof has a wall around it so no the dog cant jump off at all or get hurt its totally sercure in that respect,

GwylimT

During an emergency a dog can be left alone all day, but it really isn't ideal and it should not be happening everyday, just like people as a dog ages it becomes more difficult to control the bladder and bowels, and just like a person keeping your bladder full for long periods of time isn't good.

When you are at work you need to get a dog sitter to come in to walk your dog and to keep them company.

We have a bulldog so medium sized poo, everytime he goes myself or my paralysed wife pick it up (if she can do it, so can you), we don't have a very good out door light so I take a torch in the garden, after all you must have one otherwise you wouldn't be able to collect any poo your dog does on a walk.

I wouldn't allow a young dog access to somewhere that is treacherous, never mind an elderly one, also if it is treacherous, I wouldn't want my dog somewhere he was likely to get injured. Does your tenancy clearly state the area is to be used, normally a roof with just a slippery waterproof membrane is not designed to be weight bearing, it is only meant to be accessed for maintenance and repairs.

I once spent a summer living above someone who chose not to clear up after his dog, it isn't pleasant having to keep your windows closed all the time to avoid the smell of dog poo.

blue_moon_fairie

and i need to add, the neighbour in question doesnt care about the welfare of my dog as he frequently throws his cigarette ends at him off his balcony,