Dog owners’ responsibility
We residents living in Triq it-Tut, Żabbar, together with garage owners, are fed up with dog fouling in our area. Some dog owners take out their dog for a walk and are not clearing up the mess left by their dogs.
This irresponsibility should come to an end.
Apart from the inconvenience of cleaning our garage doors and the pavement on a regular basis, dog fouling poses a threat to public health.
A quick online search reveals that dog excrement can result in toxocariasis – an infection of the roundworm toxocara canis. Toxocariasis most commonly affects young children.
Toxocara infections can also cause an eye disease that can cause blindness.
This problem has been reported to the local council. We also provided suggestions for the launch of a public information campaign about dog owner responsibility.
This campaign should then be complemented with the enforcement of local regulations by local wardens.
One should remember that dog owners are legally responsible to clear up after their dog.
As residents we hope action is taken as soon as possible.
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Mike Shortino
Aug 5th 2012, 00:26
Everywhere you go there is dog excrement! I don't even dare walk on the pavements anymore.. They are too filthy I rather prefer to walk on the street which is cleaner. Gzira where I live is disgusting! Right near the school the pavements are covered in dog foul and pee and the smell in summer is unbearable! Did you all know that there are only 2 Eco Wardens that cover 13 localities? There should be at least 2 in each locality!
Franco Farrugia
Jul 18th 2012, 18:27
Pity that people concentrate about dog-poo and they totally ignore the disgusting garbage and dirt that they, as human beings, leave behind! But yes, ... it's all too easy to bash dog-owners.
Mr Peter Barbara
Jul 18th 2012, 17:47
@Mr A.M.Galea
Mr Galea, You are agreeing with me...I mentioned Zabbar, because the correspondent mentioned that town. I do not think that people from, say., Sliema or Birkirkara or anywhere else come to walk their dog at Zabbar, they are too busy dirtying their own locality.
GL Calleja
Jul 18th 2012, 17:05
" dog owners are legally responsible to clear up after their dog" Sometimes I wonder if some of these dog owners clean after themselves, how do you expect cleaning up after their beloved pet. "We are Maltese and we do as we please."
Kevin Camilleri
Jul 18th 2012, 16:04
Why not also mention those "Pied Piper of Hemelin like" people who feed cats. Cats breed, the number always increases and their excrement and waste dirts and stinks the neighborhood. This is not to mention that usually cat food is served on paper which ends up increasing the filth in the streets.
Peter Phillips
Jul 18th 2012, 17:47
Kevin, I fully agree with you and the stay cats also rip open rubbish sacks which further adds to the mess
Franco Farrugia
Jul 18th 2012, 18:25
@ Peter Philips: Cats would rip garbage bags ONLY IF SAID BAGS ARE PUT OUT-OF-DOORS EARLY, PERHAPS EVEN THE NIGHT BEFORE!
It seems that people like Kevin Camilleri and Philips have not been blessed by the joys of having cats, and dogs, around them. I pity them and how!
Pauline Peterson
Jul 19th 2012, 08:44
@Kevin Camilleri - You are so right. Come to Birkirkara near the Bus Terminus (inside the gardens). You can see cat food and other scraps on paper and even in frypans; empty food tins and litter where it has been scattered around by the cats (or even rats). The garden is full of cats.
It is a disgraceful site. Makeshift shelters made of odd pieces of tin, carboard, blankets etc etc for the cats. Not to mention the smell through the whole garden.
The Local Council has been going to do something about it for years, but still the problem persists.
Surely this is a health hazard for the children, who come to enjoy the child centre and the playground areas.
Claire Busuttil
Jul 19th 2012, 21:17
@Camilleri - OH MY GOSHHH, so do you think the stray cats and dogs should die of hunger???? if this is the case, you need help...believe me!
Kevin Camilleri
Jul 20th 2012, 09:22
@ Franco & Claire.
Why don't you two come and clean cats excrement from in front of my garage door! Believe me, I have NOTHING against animals, however, one cannot feed stray animals and leave them in the street. Why don't you get the stray animals and keep them in YOUR house and CLEAN behind them instead of doing a "good deed" and feed them but leave them to dirt in front of other people's house. But no, of course, you do not want to clean their mess! Claire... no I do not need help ... but I would appreciate if you would like to come and clean cats excrement from in front of my garage door. Are you coming ..... of course not...
Franco Farrugia
Jul 18th 2012, 15:56
Residents should also be mindful of the inconveniences that many 'garage-owners' cause to neighbours!
M Attard
Jul 18th 2012, 15:05
A la Maltija... a law without enforcement. What's the use of passing laws if they are not enforced? I myself have reported littering, taking out garbage early, dog mess and illegal parking. All to absolutely no avail. So what's the use? I hardly report anything anymore... however due to this lack of support from the "authorities" I am no longer a patriotic citizen and my vote definately goes in the rubbish bin.
A.M. Galea
Jul 18th 2012, 13:40
Mr. Darmanin , in addition to your article I would like to add , that those who pretend to be educated people , leave their dogs in their backgardens or in their balconys , barking all day long without even the least consideration that this is creating an inconvenience to their neighbours . I am making this comment at the same time that a dog in a balcony has been barking from seven o'clock this morning .
Mr Peter Barbara
Jul 18th 2012, 12:52
The irony at the bottom of the line is that most probably some good citizens from Zabbar are the culprits dirtying their own environment !
A.M. Galea
Jul 18th 2012, 13:22
Mr Barbara , The good citizens you mentioned are from all over Malta because you can find these culprits in every town and village . And these ara supposed to be educated people .
A. MICALLEF
Jul 18th 2012, 12:04
100 % agree. This is a national problem and Malta is covered with dogs excrement and
the authorities are doing nothing about it. Dogs food should be subject to eco tax to cover
for the cleaning of this mess. The government should increase the fines and should also
include prison sentences and start enforcing the law. People are now fed up stepping
on dogs excrement as soon as they step out of their door.
Sam Cutajar
Jul 18th 2012, 10:46
I totally agree with Mr. Darmanin. Unfortunately this happens all over the island. Dog owners are irresponsible people thinking only of themselves. The poor animal having been inside the house all night looks forward to being taken out in the morning in order to satisfy its needs. If dog owners were responsible they should allow the dog to satisfy its needs in front of their own door. That way maybe they will realize that this has to now be cleaned because it is in front of their door. The law states that owners are responsible to clean after their dogs. Some do and others do not, but no one cleans after his dog when it pees against the façade of someone else’s property. Our houses are built with lime stone which absorbs the liquid and smells like a latrine especially because when one dog pees in a spot all others will follow. I have an establishment in High street Sliema and every morning we have to clean the whole pavement in front of the establishment because of the smell of dog pee. The local councils should do something to stop this abuse. Like everything else in this country we make a fuss in the beginning but then the enthusiasm dies down and we revert back to square one. Maybe the person who said laws are made to be broken was right.
john vernon
Jul 18th 2012, 16:57
Sam spread around a lot of black or cayenne pepper the dog will never visit your doorstep again.
Paul Konti
Jul 18th 2012, 10:04
Lawrence, you are not alone in this situation. Marsascala is just as bad. Of course, this is not a message of consolation. Far from it!
The culprits should not be allowed to take their dog for a walk until their dog has toileted IN FRONT OF THEIR OWN DOOR. They should clean the mess, if necessary with a hard broom and water, then take the dog for a walk. Perhaps this is too much to expect and some may even say it is impossible. Well, I do not think so. My neighbour's dog is let out every day to do her pooing. Many times the bitch does it just outside my door while the neighbour hides herself so that she doesn't shoulder her responsibility. And I have to clean after HER dog. I think the law says that "All dogs must be kept on a leash in public places." What I am suggesting is that the animal is left outside one's own front door (or garage door) on a leash in accordance with the law. As soon as the mess has been cleaned up, the owner can then take the dog "for a walk" NOT to do its toilet in front of somebody else's property.
My question to these irresponsible owners is this: How would you like it if I walk my dog (yes I AM a dog owner) and let him poo in front of YOUR property? S H A M E.
Peter Murray
Jul 18th 2012, 09:35
You are quite correct to complain about social irresponsibility and a failure to obey the law by dog owners-but why stop at dog excrement sir?As "enforcement of local regulations" or indeed national regulations-whatever they may be and whatever issues they may cover- is ,sad to say,a pipedream here and responsibility and obligation are shared duties to be obeyed and enforced in equal parts by all concerned -citizens and authorities both-but whar's the likelihood of that happening?
Please choose the reason of your report below: