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the dog was not due to culpable neglect or default on
his part.
(2) For the purposes of this Bye-law the owner of the dog
shall be deemed to be in charge thereof, unless the
Court is satisfied that, at the time when the dog
fouled the fpotway, it had been placed in, or taken
into the charge of some other person".
It will be seen from the wording of this Bye-law that it is
a very difficult one to enforce and I cannot help feeling that the
lack of prosecutions — not only by the Council but by the police
— must be due to this ambiguity.
This menace to health is reaching such large proportions
that some more stringent national legislation may be required.
When complaints are received from members of the public
concerning "free range" dogs the Department endeavour to arrange
for the Public Relations Officer to issue warning notices for display
in the area of complaint so that dog owners are made fully aware
of their responsibilities.