Mystery over ‘offensive’ dog mess sign
Friday 19th February 2010, 8:00PM GMT.
The sign, which Shropshirestar.com has edited
Who penned this offensive sign? – that is the question.
Stunned residents in Coalbrookdale say they are baffled as to who has put the professional-looking sign up near the Albert Edward Bridge in Coalbrookdale.
It warns walkers not to dump their dog muck on the river bank.
It was spotted on a fence at the rear of the Meadow Inn in Buildwas Road by Emma Taylor, the daughter of Gorge Parish councillor, Alan Taylor, as she walked with a friend along the river bank on Tuesday afternoon. It is not known how long the sign has been there.
Mr Taylor, of Broseley, said: “It’s a bit offensive. I can see people’s point, they get fed up of dog mess.”
The sign appears to be to the point, warning those not disposing of their dog muck that “we have seen you and know who you are”.
He said Jayne Madeley, the Gorge Parish Council’s clerk, was now checking who was responsible for the land where the sign appeared. Mark Baker, manager of the pub, said he knew nothing of the sign near the path known as the Severn Way.
He said: “It’s a bit outrageous, it’s not right it should be there. I will take it down. It’s a mystery why it’s there.”
Roger Bell, who has lived in Buildwas Road for seven years, also said he had no idea the notice was there. He said: “I don’t know anything about it at all. I haven’t been down to the river for quite a while, about three or four weeks because of the weather.
“Whoever it is I tend to agree with it. “Basically, if people are going to use the path they should use it responsibly.”
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Please would the person who created this sign please create another one like it and PUT IT UP ON THE WREKIN! Thank you.
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What’s wrong with this sign?
This is a beautiful county; why not keep it so?
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OK, so the sign might be seen as offensive – but much less offensive than leaving plastic bags of dog mess along a beautiful river bank. I see nobody has objected to the sentiment of the message – however crude it may be. Shocking, yet very effective. I see the culprit has obviously taken note and amended their disgraceful behavior as there have been no more bags for the last couple of weeks.
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Well… i dont know the identity of the poster of the sign.. but i wholeheartedly agree with them!! I carry dog treats and dog foul bags with me when I walk my dog.. Ive had a couple of tuts… but i make sure i clean up… but ive also politely questioned why ones who have just allowed their pets to foul pathways but made no effort to clean up… then received their profanity laded response… which is so ironic.. given ive seen their “faces” in the local ironbrige/coalbrookdale community wishing to be included into the local historical content…..?
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Surely we don’t have to be so precious about the word on the sign?
Heaps of dog mess on public footpaths is a real problem!
I am in total agreement with the sentiments behind the sign.
Too many dog owners are irresponsible, thinking footpaths are toilets!
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I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a blunt ‘pointing the finger at’ sign like this – we hear far more offensive things on tele, in school playgrounds. What the irresponsible dog owners dog is far more offensive – glad I don’t live anywhere near one. When I worked for the National Trust, they had to put up with too many of the more feckless dog owners, who, in spite of dog bins and signs, still hung their dogs’ c**p on branches of trees in polythene bags, or worse, just left it there for others to tread on, pretending they hadn’t seen their dogs doing their revolting business, the owners not having the decency to clear it up.
Signs like this one wouldn’t be needed if more dog owners showed greater responsibility for their dogs.
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Some signs need to use abusive language for some people to understand them.
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That sign is great!
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Nothing wrong with the sign, there should be many more put up, especially on the Wrekin as said above.
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FANTASTIC SIGN, more are needed around the area and not just for the “stuff” in bags(would have used correct word but prob not have been put on here)but for the people who dont bag aswell. Whoever did it could you put one up in Brookdale Hadley there are a lot in inconsiderate dog walkers there, from Jack Russell walker to Rottweiler walker you all know who you are. Bag it and take it home with you!!
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“its a bit outrageous”… presumably he’s talking about the dog mess here? I’ve no problem with this sign, there is a massive problem, maybe the council would like to let us know how many people have actually been prosecuted in the last year for not cleaning up their dog mess or littering? And if you want to have a proper education in offensive language take a walk in Telford Centre or a trip on a bus service in the Telford region any time of the day.
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I think it’s a great sign, I own a dog and I clean up after her and have often had to carry a bag of poop for ages before either finding a bin or arriving home. ~It makes me cross to see owners who leave their dogs mess. As a parent I find it awful that I can’t let my daughter run ahead of me in the town park without constantly shouting “watch for poo” or “don’t go on the grass” All because of thoughtless lazy people.
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It hits the nail straight on the head.
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What’s the problem ?, you can hear far worse than that on TV every night. The sign is much less offensive than the actions of the mindless few who litter the area with their dogs “doings”.
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Great sign -
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10/10 for whoever put up the sign 0/10 for irresponsiblr dog owners.
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I would like one for around wellington .
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Fantastic sign.
We need to put one up in Ketley Bank especially near the school.
10/10 to the creator.
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From someone who does not own a dog, but has to put up with the stench of dogmess left to stink the neighbours out by other irresponsible dog owners – I think the sign is marvellous!
I have reported such dog owners again and again and either they are ignored or merely warned by the dog wardens that attend, and then carry on as before as soon as they leave the area. As a result every summer I am forced to keep my doors and windows closed to prevent the stench of the mess entering my house.
Owning a dog is a personal choice, why should EVERYbody have to contend with the mess they leave behind?
It is only offensive to those that have not had to put up with this problem, far too many people allow their pets to foul and simply walk away. Perhaps this well worded sign will help convince them that we don’t want it to continue?
All in favour.
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brill sign could do with some around bridgnorth
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great sign straight to the point, if the minority of dog owners were more responsible then these signs wouldn’t be needed
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Never mind just Wellington, put them all over Telford.
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Not sure why it is “professional looking” … Anyone with access to a computer and a laminating machine could have made that in less than 5 minutes.
If it works, then well done whoever it was!
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First comment from Rodney is spot on, lets have such signs around The Wrekin. Why on earth bag ‘it’ then throw ‘it’. It’s more of a hazard in the bag.
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Fantastic sign – can’t believe the Gorge Parish Councillor or anyone else would find it offensive. If Mr Taylor had taken action to solve this problem it would not have been necessary for one of his parishioners to do it for him.
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P.S. ‘Stunned residents’?? Do me a favour….!
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all those people are doing more about the sign than what they ever did about the people mentioned in it! the mind boggles.
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Its a great sign, can we have them around the paths of oswestry.
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Whoever posted this is awesome and we need more like it .
Please accept my apolgies to the author of the sign but I would like to put them up where I live !
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Apologies to signs author but I want to put them up where I live !!!
It’s awesome and sometimes shock makes people think twice!
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Yes Mandy. On Sutherland Avenue and Roslyn Road. Disgusting right now. And on the College playing fields. How nasty of the person responsible not to clean up where children play?
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What a good idea! perhaps the person who did it could create more! There’s nothing worse than realising you’ve trodden in a pile of poop, the smell hangs around for ages. PICK IT UP AND TAKE IT AWAY PEOPLE!
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What’s more offensive? The sign or the s***?
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its beyond belief for me that people would bag it and leave it there….just leaving it I can understand but not condone, but why bag it and not do anything with it?
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I can’t see anything wrong with the sign. Dog mess everywhere is far more offensive. The problem is that the sort of dog owner it is aimed at will totally disregard it. There are all sorts of signs saying “keep your dog on a lead” or “no dogs on the beach”. They have no effect whatsoever. For some people owning a dog seems to go hand in hand with selfish and antisocial behaviour.
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Brilliant!
Dogs, exactly what is the point in them?
If I ever get to the point where I need a smelly, irritating animal to brighten up my really dull existence then please can someone shoot me?
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Good sign, straight to the point. Being “PC” about it is a waste of time. If the messing has stopped, it worked. I had to do this years ago when I lived elsewhere, someone was always allowing their dog to poop right by my gate. A bag tied to a stick and a pertinent sign did the trick!
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It will take a lot more than a sign like this to stop dog owners polluting our environment. Anyway why do they think scooping most of the s**t up is acceptable to normal people anyway?
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I’ll take a dozen of them !.
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Nothing offensive about it at all!
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More needs to be done about these people who just leave their dog c*** on the pavement. You cant walk round Wellington with out having to walk round a pile of it. It’s disgusting. At least someone has the balls to do something about it. These £1000 fine signs do nothing, never heard of anyone getting one?????
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I think people are missing the point, the solution should be more dog-poo bins around Shropshire as a whole!
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KateP
do you think the people this sign is aimed at would use dog poo bins??
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Only one comment against so far,That sums feelings up well don’t you think?
Nothing wrong with you owning a dog so long as it does not involve me and leaving dog faeces for me to tread in and then walk it into my home involves me so is unacceptable.
Your dog,your responsibility.
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