New bin helps in battle against dog mess blight (From Wharfedale Observer)
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New bin helps in battle against dog mess blight
7:00am Friday 11th May 2012 in Local news By Jim Jack
Graham Latty and Chris Parapia with the new bin for dog waste
A campaign to stop the menace of dog dirt in Guiseley has been given a boost with a new bin near Parkinson Park.
The bin has been provided with funding from Guiseley and Rawdon councillor Graham Latty.
Earlier this year, his wife Coun Pat Latty appealed to dog owners to behave responsibly after being inundated with calls about the dog waste problem.
Mr Latty has been working with Parkinson Park chairwoman Chris Parapia, who has campaigned for years to stop pet owners leaving dog mess bags in ordinary bins, or piled up around the gates of the park.
The new £400 bin, on Kelcliffe Lane, has been positioned so that council vehicles can reach it easily.
Chris, who is working closely with Leeds City Council to ensure the waste is disposed of promptly, has also pledged to change the bin bags herself in the event of a “service failure.”
Chris and Nicola Denson, from the Friends of Parkinson Park, are now campaigning to get another bin put in at the Hillside end of Kelcliffe Lane. The council has already provided one at the new car park on Netherfield Road, and one on Edison Fields.
“It’s been terribly frustrating trying to get these bins organised” said Chris. “Everyone seems to be willing to help, but funds and action are a little less forthcoming. Hopefully, the Kelcliffe Lane bins will now make a difference and will not become too full.”
Speaking earlier this year about the menace of dog dirt, Coun Pat Latty said: “This is becoming an increasingly serious problem on our streets and playing fields. What people don’t seem to realise is that the mess their dogs leave is not only offensive if picked up on a shoe and trodden into your car or house, but a danger to health. Young children do not realise the dangers and it is all too easy for them to get it on their hands and then to their faces and even mouths. In a worst-case scenario, this can cause blindness.”
