smewttie
02-28-2007, 03:08 AM
Published Date: 27 February 2007
Location: Sunderland
Dog owner cries foul in mess row
A dog owner has vowed to go to jail before paying fines for allegedly not clearing up his pet's mess.
Colin Edgerton's face appeared on wanted posters put up by environmental wardens showing photographs of owners of alleged fouling dogs.
The shock campaign was launched to help the fed-up council drum home to dog owners that they "scoop the poop"' to prevent the spread of disease.
Now Mr Edgerton is being taken to court by Easington District Council for allegedly allowing his dog Sophie to foul in a children's play area.
But he claims the seven-year-old pooch was only urinating, and said he always cleared up after his pets.
Mr Edgerton could be fined up to £1,000 if convicted.
But the unemployed 53-year-old said he would refuse to pay and would rather go to jail.
"I am not going to pay a penny because I am going to stick up for my dog's rights," he said.
"I am not going to be bullied into paying for something that my dog has never done.
"If Sophie could speak she would defend herself."
Mr Edgerton, of Ninth Street, Blackhall, said no children played in the grassed area at the bottom of East Street, and the wardens had no evidence of Sophie leaving any mess.
"It is just a field where people take their dogs.Most of the time you have got to watch your dog because it is full of cans and needles.
"It is nothing to do with the children, it is just a money-making scheme."
A council spokeswoman said: "Easington council is now pursuing legal action against a person believed to have flouted dog-fouling laws.
"As this is now in the hands of the court we cannot comment further."
It is not the first time Easington Council has launched a controversial poster campaign to clamp down on dog fouling.
A no-holds barred photograph showing a man defecating in the street with the slogan 'So why let your dog do it?' was aimed at shocking owners into picking up their pets' mess when it was launched in 1994.
Later, the same council installed CCTV cameras in parks to film irresponsible owners flouting the law by refusing to poop the scoop.
Sunderland City Council last year issued 300 fixed penalty notices to dog owners for failing to clean up after their pets.
Location: Sunderland
Dog owner cries foul in mess row
A dog owner has vowed to go to jail before paying fines for allegedly not clearing up his pet's mess.
Colin Edgerton's face appeared on wanted posters put up by environmental wardens showing photographs of owners of alleged fouling dogs.
The shock campaign was launched to help the fed-up council drum home to dog owners that they "scoop the poop"' to prevent the spread of disease.
Now Mr Edgerton is being taken to court by Easington District Council for allegedly allowing his dog Sophie to foul in a children's play area.
But he claims the seven-year-old pooch was only urinating, and said he always cleared up after his pets.
Mr Edgerton could be fined up to £1,000 if convicted.
But the unemployed 53-year-old said he would refuse to pay and would rather go to jail.
"I am not going to pay a penny because I am going to stick up for my dog's rights," he said.
"I am not going to be bullied into paying for something that my dog has never done.
"If Sophie could speak she would defend herself."
Mr Edgerton, of Ninth Street, Blackhall, said no children played in the grassed area at the bottom of East Street, and the wardens had no evidence of Sophie leaving any mess.
"It is just a field where people take their dogs.Most of the time you have got to watch your dog because it is full of cans and needles.
"It is nothing to do with the children, it is just a money-making scheme."
A council spokeswoman said: "Easington council is now pursuing legal action against a person believed to have flouted dog-fouling laws.
"As this is now in the hands of the court we cannot comment further."
It is not the first time Easington Council has launched a controversial poster campaign to clamp down on dog fouling.
A no-holds barred photograph showing a man defecating in the street with the slogan 'So why let your dog do it?' was aimed at shocking owners into picking up their pets' mess when it was launched in 1994.
Later, the same council installed CCTV cameras in parks to film irresponsible owners flouting the law by refusing to poop the scoop.
Sunderland City Council last year issued 300 fixed penalty notices to dog owners for failing to clean up after their pets.