Arundel dog walker slammed as ‘lazy idiot’ as poo bags dumped in bush, council reveals number of fines issued

Council has revealed the surprising number of people fined for failing to pick up after their dog as residents rage about messes left in parks and beaches. FULL DETAILS

Signs at Gold Coast parks warn dog walkers they face being fined if they fail to pick up after their pet.

But just one such fine has been issued in the last ten months.

Readers reported that dog mess is proving a problem in locations throughout the city after the Bulletin on Wednesday revealed how dozens of filled bags had been discovered littering bush beside a walking track in Arundel.

Dogs on the beach at The Spit. Picture: Richard Gosling.

Among the areas highlighted were the off-leash beach at The Spit (described as a “poo beach”), pathways along the Broadwater and a number of suburban parks.

“Try the parks at Tugun,” one reader wrote. “Free doggy bags at the dog park section and the owners still don’t pick it up. When they do, they dispose of it or hide it at the base of the tree trunks near Aktin Street.”

Owners can be fined half a penalty unit, currently $72, for failing to pick up after their dogs and properly dispose of the waste.

A council spokesperson told the Bulletin that one person had been fined in the financial year to date. In the 2021/22 financial year, four such fines were issued.

However the spokesperson said it did increase patrols in “problem areas” when contacted by residents.

“When residents report problem areas we increase our patrols in these areas and educate dog owners on their responsibility to pick up after their animals,” the spokesperson said.

PREVIOUSLY: DOG WALKERS’ VILE HABIT EXPOSED

A Gold Coast councillor has labelled the people responsible as “pigs” after a large quantity of bags filled with dog poo were found thrown into bush along a suburban walking route.

Division 7 councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden slammed the “disgusting behaviour” after the bags were spotted along a bush walk near Arundel Drive on Monday.

According to a local resident who reported the incident on social media, “hundreds” of bags had become visible since weeds had died back.

Dozens of bags of dog poo found dumped beside a bush walk in Arundel.

Bags were left hanging from tree branches.

“It’s just pretty disgusting that people engage in that kind of behaviour. It’s your dog, you should take the responsibility for all aspects of dog ownership,” Cr Bayldon-Lumsden said.

“Unless people change their behaviour, unfortunately it seems that this kind of thing will be ongoing.

“I’m all for fining people. If people are doing the wrong thing in that kind of way they should definitely be fined.

“But ultimately it comes down to people just basically not being pigs. Just having some respect for themselves, where they live and the people that are around them and not doing this sort of thing.”

Council has been left to clean up the mess.

Locals labelled the person responsible a “lazy idiot”.

Cr Bayldon-Lumsden said he would request a council crew to clean the mess. He added that it was not the first time he had been made aware of such incidents.

“It’s not an isolated incident. It does seem to happen all over the place,” he said.

“People will tie them to fences or sit them on people’s letter boxes or put them on flexi skips.

“As the photo shows, some people are even tossing it into the bush, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of picking it up in the first place.”

Councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden at his office in Parkwood. 10 January 2023 Parkwood Picture by Richard Gosling

The person responsible for the incident was labelled a “lazy idiot” and “scumbag” by locals on social media, who also reported seeing poo bags dumped in other parts of the city.

The council fine for failing to pick up after your dog and properly dispose of the waste is $72. The fine for general littering is $287.

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