If only the above photo represented reality, but Waterford City Council’s provision of free pooper scoopers to the public is a welcome development.

Waterford City Council is to provide the public with free pooper scoopers at a host of locations around the city within the next month – and that’s not a shaggy dog story.

Dog fouling has been an issue on the city’s streets for several years and is exacerbated during periods of good weather.

While the City Council’s Enivronment Office has been working hard to keep the streets and parks of Waterford foul-free, it appears that their calls have failed to catch the ears of some dog owners.

But its latest attempt to tackle the problem is expected to be operational over the next few weeks, The Munster Express has learned.

A City Council spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that pooper scoopers are to be provided to local vets and shops, where the public will be able to pick them up, free of charge.

“The problem is a national one,” she added. “It’s not unique to Waterford but we are doing our best to address it through this new scheme, which we hope to have up and running within the next month.”

The Council has opted against the installation of ‘dog stop stands’ around the city for (a) financial reasons and (b) fears that such stands would be vandalised.

Dog stop stands have been erected in Westport, County Mayo in recent weeks – the result of a joint venture between the local Town Council and Tidy Towns committee.

Dogs which do not receive regular worm doses pass worm eggs in their faecal waste, which in turn poses a potential infection danger for children.

The City Council has erected signage in several areas across the city advising dog owners to clean up after their pets have answered nature’s call.

City Council literature states that: “Dog owners must remove their pet’s waste from any public area and dispose of it in a proper manner.  There is an On the Spot Litter Fine of €150 for dog fouling.”

It’s understood that the Council has been trying to get to the ‘bottom’ of this problem for many years (enough! – Ed).