Welsh village plastered with offensive message to irresponsible dog owners

Emily Price

A south Wales village has been plastered with an offensive message to irresponsible dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets when they foul.

Home made posters were attached to lamp posts along a stretch of main road in Merthyr Vale in Merthyr Tydfil with the words, "Clean up after your dog you lazy f**k".

Locals say the street which leads on to Cardiff Road is "constantly smeared with dog muck" despite waste bins being available.

The area forms part of the school run for children living in Darranlas who attend the primary school in Aberfan.

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Stench

Cardiff Road resident Thomas Dafydd said: "This street has been a mess for years. I don't know if it's the same person letting their dog do its business in the same area everyday - or a number of irresponsible owners.

"Kids walk along this stretch to school and if you use the bus stop here the stench is disgusting. People walk through the dog muck then scrape it off their shoes along the pavement, it's gross."

Members of the Aberfan, Merthyr Vale and Mount Pleasant community Facebook page are mystified over who is responsible for the printed signs.

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'Disgusting'

Sharing an image of one of the posters in the group, one member said: "I maybe would have phrased it differently but couldn't agree more, Cardiff Road is a mess."

Another member said: "Well done to the person who put this up, it is disgusting by there - hope it works."

Another said: "Let's hope this works, some of the dog mess is bigger than my dog. Constantly trying to dodge it on this road. Worse still looks like some have been picked up but thrown over the barrier outside peoples gardens."

Some residents in the community group praised the "harsh but truthful" language used by the secret clean up crusader.

One member said: "Spot on. Fed up of have having to dodge heaps of sh** in the mornings when I'm out walking my pooch."

Another said: "I'd phrase it exactly like that. Perfect. No beating around the bush."

Dog excrement can cause toxocariasis, leading to serious health issues like breathing problems, seizures, and blindness, especially in children

In Wales, the fine for dog fouling can be up to £1,000 if you are prosecuted, or you may be issued with a fixed penalty notice of up to £100.

Merthyr Tydfil County Council says "routine patrols" of areas by staff to observe owners allowing their dogs to foul are now the norm and prosecution is a likely outcome.