DUP MLA Maurice Bradley is urging dog owners around the Borough to ‘do the right thing’ and pick up after their beloved pooches.
His comments come after he made a second request to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council for dog litter bins to be installed in the Millburn Housing Estate and at the Cornfield Project, between Ballysally and Millburn.
“This is not just a problem for Millburn and the Cornfield , “he said. “Day and daily my office is contacted about dog fouling, we have highlighted problem areas throughout the Borough, that includes, Mountsandel, Christie Park, on football pitches and along our coastal areas, including the historic Mounsandel walk – it is very simple, if you have a dog, you must pick up after it.
“I was invited to visit to Millburn this week to see the posters that children had coloured in asking for dog owners to lift their dog foul, whilst there, myself and two Community Association members, Margaret Fillis and Billy Ellis picked up dog bags and deposited them in the bin.
“Some dog owners are picking up their dog litter, but because there are no dog foul bins in the area, they leave bags lying on the footpath, in the grass areas and even hanging in trees, it is extremely unsightly,” he said.
The MLA added: “Let’s make this very clear, dog foul is not just unsightly, it is a health hazard. If a
small child was to come in contact with it can cause toxocariasis which in the very worse instance
can cause blindness,” warned the MLA.
The MLA went on to praise the community association in Millburn for their initiative to tackle the problem: “The children have been taking part in an art competition, making posters to encourage dog owners to clear up after their pets. I got to see the children attaching their posters to the lamp posts in the area, highlighting their message. Well done to the children and the community association for their thought provoking initiative, I would at this stage make an appeal to Council to get more bins into built up areas, in a bid to solve this issue.”
