A local council has slammed Australian dog owners after dozens of bags full of dog poop were found on a pristine beach.
The dirty discovery was just one of many Bega Valley Shire Council has made recently in an ongoing problem with dog owners at Merimbula Beach on the New South Wales south coast.
The council took to social media on Tuesday to upload images of plastic rubbish bags piled in the sand and one tied to a tree branch.
“Let’s keep our beautiful main beach clean and safe for everyone,” the post said.
“Remember, proper outing with your dog means packing your own bags of dog waste and disposing of them responsibly in a container.”
The council has since removed the rubbish bag dispensers near the main entrance in the hope of fixing the problem.
“The council aims to encourage pet owners to take more responsibility for proper waste disposal,” ranger services coordinator Trudi Badullovich told Yahoo.
The council will also increase foot patrols and take action if it spots any dog owners throwing bags on the beach.
Disrespectful dog owners have come under fire from Bega Valley Shire Council after dozens of bags full of dog poop were found on Merimbula Beach.
The council has since removed rubbish bag disposers from the beach (pictured) to try to “encourage pet owners to take greater responsibility for the proper disposal of waste”.
Anyone who does not dispose of their bags properly will face a $500 fine for littering.
Leaving dog poop could result in a $275 fine.
The Facebook post was flooded 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’m 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 “a lot more dog poop abandoned on footpaths around town”.
“Some people just don’t care,” they wrote.
A bag full of dog feces was tied to a tree.
But not everyone agreed.
Other locals claimed that removing the dispensers will increase the amount of dog waste left and that there should be more bins.
“I don’t have my dog anymore so it doesn’t apply to me, but there must be a better answer,” one wrote.
Another said: “I don’t understand how to solve the problem by removing the doggy bag dispenser. Sure you’ll have fewer bags on the beach, but a lot more shit.”