FED-UP dog owner Neil Davey is calling for cat owners who let their pets foul in public places to be fined – and if they don't pay, to be prosecuted.
For over a year, the 42-year-old has been left to clean up cat faeces in his front and back gardens and on the pavement and road outside his home in Farndale Close, Chichester.
Lately the problem has increased, leading the father-of-two to call fo
r cat owners to be treated the same as those who own dogs.
"It is getting beyond a joke. It may seem to some people as a trivial complaint but until you have actually suffered it, you don't know," Mr Davey said.
"I think it is about time the problem with cats was taken into account and the owners made responsible for what their cats do."
Under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996, dog owners must clean up if their dog fouls in a public place or risk a £50 fixed penalty notice which, if they fail to pay, can lead to prosecution and a £1,000 fine.
Mr Davey has written to MP Andrew Tyrie, contacted Chichester District Council and his housing association HydeMartlet to call for the law to be changed to include cat owners. He is also considering starting a petition.
But he said the council and the housing association told him they were powerless to act.
"I can't understand why the council and my housing association can't be bothered with it," Mr Davey said.
"If I phoned up and said I had seen a dog owner let their dog foul in the street, it would be a different matter."
A council spokesman said: "There isn't any legislation regarding cats and cat fouling. They're classed as free roaming animals.
"Owners do not and cannot have the same responsibility for their actions as they do for dogs."
A spokeswoman from HydeMartlet said: "Although there are no laws relating directly to cats, the subject of cat fouling is becoming a popular talking point.
"HydeMartlet encourages its residents who own cats to be as responsible as possible in ensuring respect is shown to neighbours' gardens"
What do you think? Click here to send a letter or leave a comment below.
Click here to go back to Chichester news
Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news
Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news
To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click on the link below to add yourself to our readers' map.
MAP
The full article contains 440 words and appears in OS-Chichester Observer newspaper.
