Marlcliffe Primary School

EXERCISING DOGS ON THE SCHOOL FIELD

I am writing to ask for your help to keep our school field a safe place for our children to play sports and games and  free of dog mess. At the moment our school football team are in training and use the field regularly. Our caretaker has the job of clearing the field of dog faeces before we can allow our children to play there.

I realise that our field is a well used community resource and I am keen for everyone to make sensible use of it. I have therefore contacted Sheffield Council to provide dog bins and create a designated area for dog fouling as soon as possible. In the meantime  you can help by:

• exercising your dog somewhere else or only at the edges of the field
• never allowing your dog to mess on the football pitch or other marked areas
• scooping the poop every time your dog makes a mess
• not allowing your dog to run free on the field particularly when children are present
• contacting the school or dog warden service if you see anyone allowing their dog to foul our field.

The health risks associated with dog faeces are very serious for young children and include liver damage and blindness. Fixed penalty notices and fines can be issued to people who allow their dogs to foul public areas. The Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 states that,

 ‘If a dog defecates at any time on designated land and a person who is in charge of the dog at that time fails to remove the faeces from the land forthwith, that person shall be guilty of an offence.’

Thank you for your support in this matter. If you require any clarification please don’t hesitate to contact the school.