A resident in Sydney has had enough with dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets

A SUBURBAN vigilante is filming, then naming and shaming locals who “don’t understand the etiquette of having a dog” and refuse to pick up droppings.

A Sydney resident is naming and shaming dog owners who don’t clean up after their pet.

RUNNING a close second to parking inspectors, dog owners who fail to pick up after their pets really know how to p**s people off.

It’s a simple ask; if you own a dog, you own the messy task of cleaning up when nature calls.

If you own a dog, the law states you must clean up after it when in a public place.

Not only does it make other dog owners look bad if you don’t, it also frustrates observant neighbours.

One homeowner in the leafy Sydney Harbour suburb of Kirribilli has had enough. And instead of turning a blind eye to the mess, they’ve decided to take the matter into their own hands.

Posting a two page sign outside their townhouse, the message is clear: if you don’t pick up after your dog, you “will be filmed, shown and shamed”.

All eyes are on dog walkers in Kirribilli.

With the use of CCTV footage, one unlucky pet owner has become the first embarrassing example to other dog owners who don’t take the sign seriously.

Posting a photo of the owner, the dog and the deed — the sign even lists the time and date the incident occurred.

“If you know this dog or its owner please call,” the sign read, with a mobile number provided.

“Incident Thursday 9th February at 10am”

The sign clearly shows the owner, the dog and the deed. The hunt is on for the culprit.

According to the Companion Animals Act 1998, failing to pick up after your dog is a fineable offence. The Act indicates that “if a dog defecates in a public place, either the owner of the dog, or another person who is of or above the age of 16 years and is in charge of the dog at that time — must immediately remove the dog’s faeces and properly dispose of them.”

Falling into the North Sydney Council region, if the owner is brought to justice — she could incur a fine of up to $275.

The fines applicable for owners of dogs and cats in the North Sydney Council region.

In an interview with news.com.au, the Kirribilli resident who posted the signage — but didn’t want to be identified — said this wasn’t an isolated incident.

“It has happened several times now,” he said.

“I take responsibility of replanting the grass on the small nature strip in Pitt Street and Jeffreys Street in Kirribilli. It looks really nice, but sometimes owners and their dogs come and poo on it, and they don’t pick it up.”

The man, who has lived in the area since the 80s, said the biggest culprits were new residents in the area “who don’t understand the etiquette of having a dog in Kirribilli”.

Pick up after your dog.

“The bigger the dog the bigger the poo,” he said.

“The grass looks beautiful, and I fix it up every week because it’s a special kind of grass. “There’s four of these grass sections in the street, and the one where the dog pooped is the grass straight in front of my house.”

North Sydney Council told news.com.au that if residents do have a problem with owners not picking up after their pet, they should contact the Council.

“Council rangers are following up on this incident with the resident concerned,” the statement read.

“Members of the public are encouraged to contact Council if they are aware of areas where dog excrement is an issue.”

The woman in the photo hasn’t yet been identified.

Originally published as A resident in Sydney has had enough with dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets