Cleaning up after your dog is a necessity

EDITOR – In recent months the media has covered many cases of problem dog fouling in local villages and towns. 

As dog owners, we are all responsible for keeping our dogs under control and abiding with the laws. It is an offence not to remove any faeces deposited by your dog. Apart from the legal consequences of dog fouling, there are health implications. 

Children are particularly susceptible to infection. Wheelchair uses also struggle to navigate the streets without having to overcome the hazard of getting dog faeces on their hands. 

Nobody is immune to health risks and dog fouling is a problem that we all need to understand. Toxocariasis causes serious illness and even blindness. It is caused by a parasite known as toxocara canis (also known as roundworm). 

These parasites live in dogs’ digestive systems. Eggs are released in the faeces of infected animals and contaminated soil. If someone ingests infected material, the eggs may hatch into larvae and can lead to toxocariasis. Getting dog faeces into wounds may also cause infections. Another danger is people being injured by slipping.  

Despite continuing efforts to eradicate this problem, many people refuse to obey the law and remain irresponsible. Cleaning up after your dog is a necessity. We all need to be vigilant and united in our approach to keeping our communities clean and welcoming.

By following a few simple rules we can overcome this problem and prevent serious illness. When you walk your dog, always carry bags that can be used to pick up the faeces. A simple plastic bag is all you need. You can buy a small clip on bag dispenser from us, or at your local pet shop. It fits onto your dog’s lead and can contain multiple bags to ensure you are always well prepared.  

Dispose of the bag correctly by either using a dog waste or litter bin or taking it home and placing it, suitably wrapped, in your own refuse bin. Please do not dump the bag in a hedge or elsewhere as this is littering, which is also an offence.

In Bantry, we have joined forces with Cork County Council to overcome the problem of dog fouling. As a result there are now numerous public bag dispensers and bins provided around the town. This service is free of charge.

The advice is simple. Always clean up after your dog. Dispose of the litter responsibly. Worm your dog regularly. 

There are no excuses, fouling is unacceptable, illegal and dangerous.

Deirdre O’Brien,

PRO

Rural Animal Welfare Resources (Rawr),

Bridge Street,

Bantry.

High praise for the staff at Bushmount

EDITOR – I’m writing to express my disappointment at the article in last week’s Southern Star on Hiqa inspections of two nursing homes in West Cork.

Having a parent as a long-term resident in one of the mentioned nursing homes, Bushmount, Clonakilty, I read the full Hiqa report myself. Whilst acknowledging that there were some negative findings contained within the report, from a total of 21 regulations, 19 were deemed to be compliant or substantially compliant, whilst two areas were deemed not compliant. 

I totally agree with independent inspections, reports and follow up actions. I, myself, work in a very regulated industry where inspections and corrective actions are part of day-to-day business to strive to be the best.

However, reading the article, reference is only made to the negative findings and not to broader contents of the report, both positive and negative. The Hiqa report also stated that the overall feedback from residents was that the nursing home was a nice place to live and residents generally felt their rights were respected. 

Staff promoted a person-centred approach to care and were observed by the inspector to be kind and caring towards residents. The inspector met the majority of residents during the two days of inspection and spoke with eight residents in more detail. They said they were relieved that the centre had remained free of the Covid-19 virus. I couldn’t agree more. The care that residents get there is second to none.  The staff are so dedicated, kind, caring and extremely hard working. 

Both my family and I are extremely grateful to each one of them for how they look after my dad. They are kind, jolly and a fiercely dedicated bunch of people who deserve nothing but praise. 

These are the frontline staff who showed up to work every day, cared for the residents and successfully kept Covid out during the whole two years of the pandemic. 

Nursing homes are a necessary service, and when families become faced with no other option for full-time care, we are very grateful to have these nursing homes to provide that great care.   

However, reading the article, a reader is left with an entirely negative impression of the nursing home with no reference made to any of the positive findings. 

Your readers also include the residents of these nursing homes, their families and the staff who work in these nursing homes in West Cork.

Marie Gavin,

Rochestown.

Worried about litter

EDITOR – This is traditionally the time of year when Cork starts gearing up for the tourist season. But I would be worried for the future of the industry if we don’t get our act together on litter.

I don’t know if it’s because hedges and grass verges have been cut back recently, or there are more people out and about, but the problem seems to be getting worse.

I travelled to West Cork over the weekend and all the main roads have their problems. But there were a few real blackspots, with paper bags and plastic bottles in the ditches. 

With road bowlers having blocked a back road outside Skibbereen on Sunday, I took a detour to Drimoleague and was really taken aback by the amount of rubbish at the side of the road from Skibbereen.The main road to Dunmanway was almost as bad, in spots.

And as for the road from Dunmanway to Coppeen – a road many tourists will use to access Bantry – it was truly shocking the amount of rubbish along it.

The road there is too narrow and dangerous for anyone to get out and start picking up bottles – which I have been known to do in the past – so this can only be a job for the County Council, if it is serious about presenting a tidy environment to our visitors.

Gerry O’Sullivan,

Ballinlough,

Cork city.