ARGYLL and Bute Council’s new anti-dog fouling campaign has been unveiled – but it’s not quite as hard-hitting as it could have been.

The #makeyourpupproud campaign was launched by the authority on Monday, July 19, with a poster bearing a message purportedly from a dog that its owner must pick up their pet’s mess.

Councillors had agreed to pursue an anti dog fouling campaign at a meeting of the council’s environment, development and infrastructure committee on Thursday, June 3.

One option put before the committee was a sinister-looking pair of eyes bearing a message that the authority would be watching lazy dog owners who do not clear up after their pet.

A report for last month’s meeting said that the cost of pursuing this campaign would be £2,250 – enough for 40 posters, which was not enough to provide one to every community council across the area.

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The #makeyourpupproud campaign is set to run for four weeks over social media, with council staff and members of the public having shared photos and ideas.

Community councils will be offered free posters to be put up in popular dog-walking areas to remind owners to clean up after their dogs.

Council leader, Kintyre and the Islands Liberal Democrat councillor Robin Currie, said: “This is something I know most communities feel strongly about and we need to tackle it together.

“Most people clean up after their dogs – we know this. We need to remind the one in 10 that don’t pick up that this just isn’t acceptable.

“It is up to all of us to keep Argyll and Bute beautiful. What we want to do with our campaign is remind people of the social and health dangers that leaving dog mess behind can create.

“I’m sure if more people considered the effect not picking up after their dog has on others, they would be more considerate.”

READ MORE: Council laments 'limited' help from public to name and shame dog fouling culprits

Councillor Currie is also chair of the environment, development and infrastructure committee and said at its meeting in June: “It is disgusting – we do not accept humans urinating in public places; why should we put up with dog fouling?”

Other councillors weighed in, with South Kintyre Conservative Councillor Donald Kelly saying: “It is down to irresponsible people. We have been round the houses on this and it is not going to make any difference to them.

“The only way around it is naming and shaming to ensure that the police, maybe for a period of time, allocate some police hours to coach people through the correct process.

“Regardless of what we do as a council, we will never get to the bottom of this problem.”

And Oban South and the Isles SNP Councillor Jim Lynch said: “Some of the posters with eyes scare me but we are going round in circles here.

“I think we need to take more of a positive aggressive action on this, and I think it is a good idea to up the ante.”

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