Dog mess fouls up pitch (From Stroud News and Journal)

Dog mess fouls up pitch

RUGBY players in Cainscross are trying to convert anti-social dog walkers into responsible citizens after years of being plagued by fouling dogs on the pitch.

Cainscross RFC play in Victory Park but their game is blighted by the constant problem with dog mess.

"It is a big problem and it's really not nice," said team captain Adam Smith.

"We have to walk the pitch before every game and every training session but you're always going to miss a bit.

"About once a month someone will end up rolling in it and if they've got cuts it can be quite serious."

A number of players have seen what were minor cuts and grazes become infected following a close encounter with the dog mess.

"It's been worse than ever before this year," said Mr Smith.

"We don't know what to do about it other than ask the dog walkers to be a bit more considerate," he added.

"If it was them playing rugby on the pitch they'd think twice before letting their dogs foul it."

Player Ed Butcher told the News & Journal how a tiny insect bite had swollen up to an absurd size following a training session on the pitch.

"I've never had a bite that's done that before," he said.

"If you get dog mess into a cut the health hazards are unreal.

"I can't understand why people have to let their dogs on the pitch.

"You only have to walk five minutes to be on the canal path or out in acres and acres of open fields."