Dog owner fined £200
A Hereford man has been fined £200 for allowing his dog to foul in a public space.
John Manser of Ambleside Drive, Hereford, was in charge of three dogs in the city’s Sidney Box Drive when Herefordshire Council’s dog warden Dave Goulding spotted the fouling offence.
At first the man gave his name as Robert Wilson of Macauley Drive and accepted a £50 fixed penalty notice for the offence, the court heard.
After no payment was received with the prescribed time limit of 14 days, a letter was sent to the Macauley Drive address and an elderly lady in a distressed state contacted Herefordshire Council to say no-one by the name of Robert Wilson lived there.
The dog warden then carried out regular visits to the Sidney Box Drive area and found the man again and this time, the court heard, he gave his correct identity.
At Hereford Magistrates Court on Tuesday (October 17), Manser was found guilty of the offence in his absence and fined £200 and ordered to pay £191.15 costs. The defendant had sent in no written mitigation.
Cllr Phil Edwards, Cabinet Member (Environment), said after the case: “Dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets create a health hazard and such irresponsible behaviour cannot be tolerated.
“In this instance an open area used by children was the scene and where such disregard of their obligations is shown by dog owners putting the matter before the court is the only appropriate solution.
“The fact that this particular individual gave a false identity to the dog warden further compounds the offence and the magistrates showed they were of the same opinion,” Cllr Edwards added.
