A mum has accused Aberdeenshire Council of treating her son “like a criminal” after he forgot to take a plastic bag with him as he walked the dog.
Cindy Summers had just returned from her friend’s funeral when she stopped by her mum’s house in Peterhead to have a cup of tea.
She told her 14-year-old boy, Connor, to instead go home and take the family dog with him.
But within minutes of leaving, she claims the youngster was accosted by two shouting dog wardens who demanded he clean up after his pet or face a “hefty fine” – and then “marched” him back to his mum.
She says Connor tried to tell them he had been on his way back to pick up a plastic bag for retired guide dog Zahrus, but they wouldn’t listen.
Miss Summers has now demanded answers from the authority after branding the actions of its wardens as “disgusting”.
Last night, she said: “He had started walking back to get a bag, and the next thing he realised was that he was being shouted at.
“They told him he was committing an offence and that he could be fined on the spot. They just weren’t interested in hearing anything he had to say.
“Instead, they marched him like a damn criminal back to my mum’s. They wouldn’t let him just get a bag and get on with their day – he was afraid to not do what they said.
“I couldn’t believe it.
“One of them just shouted at us. Their attitude was just terrible.”
A row eventually broke out between Miss Summers and the wardens, which was only diffused when the family demanded that they leave their home.
“They didn’t want to listen to us,” Miss Summers added.
“While we were speaking to one of them, the other one started waving a bag in Connor’s face and demanded that he go pick up the mess. They were completely arrogant and cheeky.
“We have always picked up after our dogs and he offered to go and pick it up and they never let him.
“They’ve seen him and thought he would be an easy target and they’d get away with it. They need to have a look around this town instead, there’s a real problem with people not picking up after their dogs.”
Yesterday, a spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said it would be responding to Miss Summers directly.
“We appreciate that people may not welcome receiving a warning or a penalty notice, but ultimately the aim is to encourage responsible behaviour in all our communities,” he added.
“We have investigated the circumstances of this particular complaint and will be responding directly.”
Dog mess has been a persistent problem in Peterhead in recent years.
In 2014, one local woman tried to shine light on the issue by decorating mess that had not been picked up with strawberries and cream.
At the time, Theresa Ritchie, who even used decorative stars and sprinkles to make people aware of the problem, said her efforts proved that the waste was being left uncleaned for up to eight weeks.
She added: The food idea has showed that dog poo wasn’t being cleaned up by the council.
“It’s clear that dog owners don’t clean up after themselves.”
WHAT CAN DOG WARDENS DO?
Aberdeenshire Council currently has dog wardens based in Peterhead, Inverurie and Stonehaven.
They are responsible for providing information to pet owners about micro-chipping their dogs and helping residents to understand the laws involved in ownership.
The dog wardens can also impose fixed penalty fines to people who do not clean up after their dog.
At present, the council’s wardens are authorised under the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 to issue fines to any person who is in charge of an animal in a public place.
These are issued routinely on enforcement patrols across Aberdeenshire.
The fine is set at £80 but rises to £100 if it is not paid within 28 days.
A repeat offender, or someone who a dog warden feels is unlikely to pay, may be reported under the legislation to the procurator fiscal.
If the case is taken to court a fine could reach as much as £500.
Last night, a spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said its wardens were allowed to use their own judgement if a minor is caught in breach of the law.
“Dog waste in public areas is a significant concern across Aberdeenshire and we receive regular requests to take action. As such, our dog wardens have a duty to challenge those who fail to clear up after their pets,” he added.
“The wardens aim to be firm but fair when issuing penalties, and when dealing with people between the age of 10 and 17 years can exercise discretion as to whether to issue a fixed penalty notice or simply a warning.”