Dog owner fined for not removing dog waste

A man was fined over £1,000 for repeatedly failing to clear up his dogs’ mess.

Matt Scott, 41, of Hud Rake, Haslingden, was ordered to pay a fine of £660, with £435 costs and a £66 victim surcharge at Burnley Magistrates Court.

Scott was prosecuted by Rossendale Borough Council for letting the waste of his two dogs accumulate on decking behind his house over a period of six months

He had failed to observe an abatement notice served by a Council Environmental Health Officer in June and as a result was prosecuted.

Councillor Jackie Oakes, Portfolio Holder for Operations at Rossendale Borough Council, said:

The Council should not be in a position where it has to take action like this: clearing up after your dog is a basic duty of an owner. However, we will not hesitate to prosecute people who don’t show respect to other residents by disposing of their dog’s waste responsibly. I hope this case serves as a warning to those who think that these rules do not apply to them.