‘Absolutely disgusting’ discovery at NSW south coast beach sparks urgent warning from Bega Council
An local council has slammed Aussie dog owners after dozens of bags filled with dog poo were found on a pristine beach.
The filthy discovery was just one of many Bega Valley Shire Council has recently made in an ongoing issue with dog owners at Merimbula Beach on the NSW south coast.
The council took to social media on Tuesday to upload images of two dozen plastic garbage bags piled together on the sand just metres from the water.
Another bag was tied to a tree branch.
‘Let’s keep our beautiful Main Beach clean and safe for everyone,’ the post read.
‘Remember, a proper pooch outing means packing your own dog waste bags and disposing of them responsibly in a bin.’
The council has since removed dog waste dispensers near the main entrance of the beach and other hotspots in the hope of tackling the problem.
‘Council aims to encourage pet owners to take greater responsibility for proper waste disposal,’ ranger services coordinator Trudi Badullovich told Yahoo.
Disrespectful dog owners have been slammed by Bega Valley Shire Council after dozens off bags filled with dog poo were found at Merimbula Beach
The council has since taken away garbage bag disposers at the beach (pictured) to try and ‘encourage pet owners to take greater responsibility for proper waste disposal’
‘Council is actively addressing the challenges posed by dog waste and disposal bags which can degrade when left on beaches, endangering marine life.’
‘We urge residents to use their own bags and dispose of them in landfill bins.’
The council will also increase foot patrols and take action if dog owners are spotted dumping the bags at the beach.
Anyone who fails to dispose of their bags correctly will face a $500 littering fine.
Leaving behind dog poo could result in a $275 fine.
The Facebook post was inundated with comments from locals, who were just as furious.
‘If you can’t clean up after your dog, don’t have a dog,’ one wrote.
Another added: ‘Disgusting and extremely irresponsible, shame on these dog owners.’
A third commented: ‘I am absolutely horrified to see this,’ a third commented, adding: ‘what are these dog owners thinking?’.
Another resident claimed that the problem had spread to other surrounding areas and that they had seen an ‘a lot more poo dog left on footpaths around the town’.
‘Some people just don’t care,’ they wrote.
One bag filled with dog poo (pictured) was tied to a tree at Merimbula’s main beach
But not everyone agreed.
Other locals claimed the removal of the dispensers will increase the amount of dog poo left behind and that there should be more bins.
‘I no longer have my dog, so it doesn’t apply to me but there must be a better answer,’ one wrote.
Another said: ‘I don’t understand how removing the dog bag dispenser will resolve the issue, sure you’ll have less bags on beach, but a lot more s***.’
