Moville Tidy Towns committee has taken extra measures to deal with dog fouling in the area.
Residents and visitors have identified the Shore Path and Bath Green as two very problematic areas.
“This is an environmental issue as well as a health and safety issue, posing a risk to humans and other animals alike,” a spokesperson for the group said.
Moville Tidy Towns reviewed this feedback and decided to focus their efforts on this as part of their Leave No Trace Campaign.
Free dog waste bags are already available at the beginning of the Shore Walk, adjacent to the Children’s play park, and at Lafferty’s Lane courtesy of Donegal County Council. One additional issue identified by the local Litter Warden is the theft of all dog bags on a recurring basis. This then removes this valuable amenity for other dog walkers/owners and they would ask that everyone is respectful and only take what bags they need.
“Our local Litter Warden will continue to conduct patrols of the Moville area to discourage dog fouling and to enforce the law where applicable,” the spokesperson added.
Moville Tidy Towns has installed new fun signage in dog fouling hotspots to help communicate the issue and, hopefully, to prevent future instances. They have also bought eco-friendly dog waste bag holders and lanyards (main pic) which they will distribute for free to dog walkers/owners over the coming weeks. The holders are made from sustainable bamboo fibres and can be used with compostable dog waste bag rolls.
If you would like to receive a free Moville Tidy Town lanyard, bag holder and roll of bags, please call into the Moville Family Resource Centre and pick one up. Alternatively, you can meet Tidy Town volunteers any Saturday morning at 8.30am in Market Square and collect one there.
“We welcome any and all new volunteers, if you want to get involved please do reach out on Facebook or at movilletidytowns@gmail.com”
Dog walkers/owners are also reminded to follow through and ensure they place bagged dog waste into any of the public bins in the town and along the Green and Shore.
“Shockingly, we pick up a lot of bagged dog waste during our weekly clean-ups and have to also remove it from trees and the River Foyle. Those who apparently hang it up to pick it up on the way back rarely do so, so it is best to tie the bag to your lead and dispose of it at the end of your walk in an appropriate bin. We appreciate that there are a minimum number of bins in these areas and we continue to flag this to Donegal County Council as can members of the public.”
Takeaway boxes
Their survey on ‘Attitudes to Waste and Sustainability in Moville’ also highlighted that the bins available are not suitable for takeaway boxes.
“We would ask takeaway businesses to consider having cardboard recycling bins outside their premises to help with this.
“Takeaway boxes are one of the biggest problems alongside dog waste. It is another aspect of waste that people could also take home to either recycle or reuse.”
However, the committee would like to say a big thank you to all those who have helped reduce waste from take-away coffee cups after their Bring Your Own Cup Campaign last year.
As part of the Leave No Trace Love This Place initiative, the committee is inviting young people up to the age of 18 to take part in a competition to raise awareness of this key fundamental.
Full details are on the advertising poster on Facebook, in Moville Library and Moville Family Resource Centre and have been shared with local schools for the three categories of colouring (4-8), design a poster (8-12) or create an awareness leaflet (12-18). Competition entries must be submitted by 5pm 19th May and can either be given to a Moville Tidy Towns volunteer or handed in to Moville Library and Moville District Family Resource Centre.
“We wanted to share a special word of thanks to Moville Sea Scouts cubs, beavers, scouts, ventures and leaders who are fantastic ambassadors for Leave No Trace Ireland,” the spokesperson concluded.
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