Gwynneville resident Peter Leiner has ‘‘finally got the shits’’.
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Spurred on by a recent Illawarra Mercury article which revealed Wollongong dog walkers have filled up more than 880,000 bags of dog poo in the past two years, Mr Leiner has gone the extra mile to show not all residents have been picking up after their pooches.
So great was his frustration, Mr Leiner photographed 26 examples of dog poo he encountered on a walk between his Gwynneville home and North Wollongong, and sent them in to the Mercury.
Mr Leiner said by far the worst section of the walk was the ‘‘brown mile’’ between North Beach and Belmore Basin.
‘‘I played rugby for many years and I learnt how to side step, and quite frankly I’m sick of side-stepping dog poo,’’ Mr Leiner said.
‘‘People just don’t give a damn.
‘‘I’ve been whinging to my friend about it and I thought this might be the only way to get some acknowledgement happening.’’
A recent Wollongong City Council report revealed the council had provided 440,000 biodegradable dog poo bags a year for the past two years at a total cost of $18,000.
Mr Leiner said, although he thought the bags were a ‘‘fantastic idea’’, he would like to see council enforce their use.
‘‘I would suggest a ranger presence around peak walking times, being proactive and encouraging them [walkers] to pick up first,’’ Mr Leiner said.
‘‘And then fine them if they don’t pick it up.
‘‘You see quite a lot of people who blatantly let their dogs do what they have to do and don’t worry about it.’’
For all his efforts, Mr Leiner said he was keen not to be seen as a whinger.
‘‘I’m trying to create a positive thing,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m probably someone saying out loud what a lot of people are thinking.
‘‘As a side note, that’s the last time I’m taking pictures of dog poo, I just wanted to get the message across.’’