Dog poop in bag lands owner in it

Joe Mallia thought he was following the letter of the law when he picked his dog's excrement with a paper bag from the street in Marsalforn and put it in a carrier bag.

He placed the double-knotted bag down on the street where other rubbish was waiting to be collected later that morning, when a warden in civilian clothing pounced out of nowhere and slapped him with a €116 fine for littering.

"I was stunned... He said he had to fine me for littering," said the Santa Lucija resident, who has a second home in Gozo.

Mr Mallia explained he had noticed a man following him for some 20 minutes as he took his four-year-old Labrador, Pedro, for an early morning walk. The dog owner is incensed at the fine since there are no special bins to dispose of dog excrement.

"These bins are practically available all over Malta, but wonder of wonders there aren't any in a holiday resort like Marsalforn," he said.

According to Mr Mallia, the warden sounded understanding when he pointed out that since there were no special bins for this type of refuse he had no alternative but to leave it in a place where it would be picked up.

Two months later he received a notice by post saying that he had to pay the fine.

Although Mr Mallia wrote to the petitions' board, the citation stood.

"I paid the fine under protest, especially since 11 per cent interest would be added each month," he said. He pointed out that contesting a fine in Gozo would end up costing him even more since he would have to catch the ferry and take a day off work.

When contacted, David Soler, the authorised officer responsible for wardens, said that in the absence of bins people could not just throw rubbish on the ground.

"They should take it with them. Littering has to stop," he said.

Similarly, Zebbug mayor Carmelo Saliba said it was the responsibility of the owner to dispose of pet excrement appropriately, irrespective of whether there were bins or not. When asked whether the council would be installing bins to ensure that people have a place to dispose of pet excrement, Mr Saliba said any requests would be considered.