Dolgellau School Pupil’s Colourful Environmental Campaign

Dolgellau school pupil’s colourful environmental campaign ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Pupils at Ysgol Gynradd Dolgellau have taken part in an initiative to raise awareness of the dog fouling problem in their area. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Fed-up with having to look out for dog mess on their way to school and coming across it in areas where they often play in the community, the children felt they needed help and guidance about how to tackle the issue so they contacted Gwynedd Council’s Tidy Towns scheme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Gwynedd’s Tidy Towns Officer, Jonathan Neale visited the school and chatted with the children about their concerns. They then decided to work with Tidy Towns to create some colourful posters which will be used as permanent information signs around known dog fouling hotspots in Dolgellau. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Linda Morgan who represents the suth Dolgellau ward on Gwynedd Council, said: “Dolgellau has its share of dog fouling problems, especially in one or two localised areas of the town. The children’s initiative to raise awareness is great as the message comes directly from those who are most vulnerable to the health hazard associated with this very unpleasant matter. I very much welcome their initiative.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor John Wynn Jones, added: “Tidy Towns is an excellent initiative for giving community groups, individuals and establishments a voice and a way of improving their local environment. As much as anything, it’s about empowering people to respond effectively, and the children at Ysgol Gynradd Dolgellau are a good example of this.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Many dogs are infected with parasites which can be harmful to people, especially children. Toxocariasis is a disease caused when the eggs of toxocara worms are transferred from dogs to people through infected dog mess or soil. Infection can lead to illness and even blindness. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In Gwynedd it is a criminal offence to take a dog onto designated children’s play areas, school grounds, sports pitches and certain beaches (April-September) or to allow your dog to foul any public space. Offenders are liable to receive a £100 fixed penalty, with failure to pay potentially leading to a court summons and a fine of up to £1,000. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Tidy Towns is funded by a grant from the Welsh Government with the aim of improving the quality of the local environment. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​