Residents hit out at 'selfish' dog owners' disgusting act

A Sydney community is fed up with what they call "selfish dog owners" who are accused of spoiling a popular public area with their "disgusting" acts.

"Over a long period of time" some people have reportedly been dropping bags of dog poo at popular Gymea Bay Oval in Sydney's south.

One local who volunteers at the Gymea Football Club which plays at the oval, shared his disappointment with the actions of the "few" dog owners, saying he is the person who has to deal with it.

"We have experienced problems with dog owners leaving bags of poo near the cage and in the wire fencing," Gary Riggers said on the Gymea Bay Community Facebook page. Photos shared show the poo bags left outside and on top of the cage where the bins are.

To help resolve the issue, he said a bin with the words "dog poo only" was trialled outside of the fence so that dog owners could leave their dog waste there. However there were still dog owners who "threw the bag on the ground". The service was therefore discontinued, with some annoyed residents asking for security cameras to catch the dog poo perpetrators.

Residents call for permanent council bin at sports oval

The bins within the fence are used by the soccer club for ground control, and are locked up when there are no games, prompting residents to call for a permanent council bin at the oval. The bins are due to be locked away for five months after the soccer season ends. Frustrated dog owners, unable to access the bins, appear to be throwing their waste on the ground outside the caged area.

"The best result for the oval would be a permanent bin that would be emptied by council once a week," Mr Riggers told Yahoo News Australia. "This would hopefully stop people leaving their dog business near the fence or on the roof!!"

• Dog walker's dodgy poo act caught on CCTV, leaving homeowner furious

• Fury over apartment resident's alleged dog poo act: ' Absolutely appalling'

• Fed-up resident calls out dog walker's 'inconsiderate' poo act

Sutherland Shire council responds to residents' complaints

Fines for not collecting your dog's waste and properly disposing it vary between councils, with Sutherland Shire Council fining people $275, according to a spokesman.

"Sutherland Shire Council is aware of concerns about pet owners failing to properly dispose of dog waste, particularly around local sports fields and other Council managed open spaces," he told Yahoo News Australia.

"Picking up after your dog while out in public is an essential part of responsible pet ownership. Council staff are out in the community actively patrolling public areas each day to ensure compliance, to respond to specific complaints from members of the community, to educate pet owners of their responsibilities and to issue fines where warranted."

The council did not address Yahoo's specific inquiry as to whether it would install a permanent bin at Gymea Bay Oval.

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