Letter: Use garden waste bins as dog poo deposit stations

Reader letter sent in to the Harrogate Advertiser by Simon Watts, Knaresborough .
Simon Watts has come up with a solution to the dog waste problemSimon Watts has come up with a solution to the dog waste problem
Simon Watts has come up with a solution to the dog waste problem

When reading the letter earlier this month regarding making dog owners pay to empty bins, this did start me thinking.

It would take my dog a lifetime to fill a garden waste bin that costs a resident under a pound a week, making your reader’s suggested increase cost for owning a dog extremely poor value for money.

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How do you think the Chihuahua owner would feel when watching the Saint Bernard owner depositing their dog’s freshly filled carried bag into the bin; maybe what a bad deal they were getting? Therefore, we maybe need to consider a sliding scale depending on dog breed and number of feeds, in the same way residents pay more for additional bins to accommodate more garden waste.

My other concern is how the costly central register would work; one thing for sure the national population of dogs would suffer a dramatic decline as owners forget they had a canine friend.

This worrying decline in numbers could make headline news!

Would it not be easier and less costly for the council, if dog owners were to reach an agreement with willing residents, having conveniently located garden waste bins, to use these as waste deposit stations?

When doing so it would be expected they make a financial contribution, which in turn would help cover the annual charge? This would require an “honesty box” being attached to the bin.

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Many residents in the right location could turn their garden waste bin into a money-making opportunity, turning a small annual cost into a significant profit over a 12-month period.

If your reader lets me know their address, I will make sure they see the financial benefits of my suggestion, by redirecting my dog walking past their bin.

Seriously, let us not forget the good dogs do for so many people’s mental health, particularly during this dreadful pandemic and lockdown.

Hopefully, this letter makes you smile during these difficult times. If not, I apologise.

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