Newbridge RFC urges dog owners to do the right thing and pick up after their pets as part of a national dog fouling campaign from Keep Wales Tidy.
The father of an eight-year-old boy, Jake, discovered dog poo smeared on the side of his son’s face whilst warming up to play an under 9s rugby game at Newbridge RFC in Caerphilly where the animals are banned.
The dog poo narrowly avoided Jake’s eye, in what Newbridge RFC has described as a ‘close escape.’
Dafydd Martin-Lloyd, Director of Newbridge RFC said: “A young man left his house excited about going to play a game of rugby. Whilst warming up he was tackled and landed face first in dog poo. Due to where the dog poo was on his face, and the fact that the worst-case scenario is you can lose your sight from it, was very alarming.
Fortunately, this didn’t go in his eyes but it’s a very close escape and could have been life changing for him and his family if it had.
Dog fouling on our rugby pitch isn’t acceptable and needs to stop. We’ve teamed up with Keep Wales Tidy to urge dog owners to do the right thing and pick up after their pets before a child is seriously harmed.”
Dog poo remains a persistent issue in communities across the country. Keep Wales Tidy’s campaign aims to raise awareness of the health risks associated with dog poo.
As well as carrying harmful bacteria which can lead to infection, asthma and even blindness, bacteria can live in soil long after the dog poo has decomposed.
Keep Wales Tidy Chief Executive Lesley Jones said:
“We’ve teamed up with Newbridge RFC to urge the minority of irresponsible dog owners to do the right thing and pick up after their pets. By not picking up after your dog, you could be putting children at risk.
We’re shocked by the incident that took place at Newbridge RFC. This is a close escape and could have played out very differently if the dog poo had gone into the young boy’s eye.
Some local authorities have banned dogs from sports pitches, and other areas such as children’s play parks. Please respect these rules and keep dogs away from no dog zones.
Dog poo isn’t just an unpleasant mess, it can be dangerous. Please bag it, bin it and leave only pawprints when you’re out and about.”
A spokesperson from Caerphilly County Borough Council said “Whilst the majority of dog owners clean up after their pets, there are still a number of irresponsible owners who allow their dogs to foul in public places without clearing up after them.
As well as being extremely unpleasant for the public and users of sports pitches, there are also serious health risks linked with contaminated dog faeces.
The council’s decision to ban dogs from marked sports pitches will help ensure a safe and clean environment for adults and children such as Jake and his team mates to exercise. It will also further encourage responsible dog ownership.”
The nationwide campaign is being run as part of Caru Cymru (a Welsh phrase meaning ‘Love Wales’) – an inclusive movement led by Keep Wales Tidy and local authorities to inspire people to take action and care for the environment.
