A rugby player has told how dog poo on the pitch has left him with a leg infection which has never healed. Darryl Adams has spent 17 years with a leg that has “never been right” after being stamped on with rugby boot studs which were caked in dog mess.
The 50-year-old is now urging owners to pick up after their pets as part of a national dog fouling campaign, Walesonline reports. The HGV driver from Abertillery, Wales, suffered life-changing injuries after the incident in 2005 on a playing field in Blaenau Gwent which left him in hospital.
The studs cut the skin on his shin and the dog poo caused a cellulitis infection which has caused him problems ever since. The grandfather has had repeated stays in hospital as the bug flares up from even the smallest thing, which can be potentially life-threatening.
Mr Adams said:“I ended up spending a week in hospital. All it takes is something small to trigger it off again. The infection flared up twice between 2005 and 2013.
“The last time in 2013 was the worst. All it took was heavy flu to trigger it and I was hospitalized for two weeks because the infection had tracked into my veins. Ever since then my leg has never been right, it is constantly swollen and looks awful, all from some selfish person who couldn’t be bothered to pick up after their dog!
“I’m backing Keep Wales Tidy’s dog fouling campaign to urge dog owners to do the right thing and pick up after their pets before more people are seriously harmed.”
Dog poo remains a persistent issue in communities across the country and Keep Wales Tidy, the national dog fouling campaign, aims to raise awareness of the health risks associated with dog poo. As well as carrying harmful bacteria which can lead to infection, asthma and even blindness, bacteria can live in soil long after the dog poo has decomposed.
Keep Wales Tidy Chief Executive Lesley Jones said: “We urge the minority of irresponsible dog owners to do the right thing and pick up after their pets. By not picking up after your dog, you could be putting people at risk. Darryl’s story highlights just how harmful dog poo can be for people.
“Dog poo isn’t just an unpleasant mess, it can be dangerous. Please bag it, bin it and leave only pawprints when you’re out and about.”
The nationwide campaign is being run as part of Caru Cymru (a Welsh phrase meaning ‘Love Wales’) – an inclusive movement led by Keep Wales Tidy and local authorities to inspire people to take action and care for the environment.
Mr Adams suffered his injury almost two decades ago but the problem of poo on the pitch remains. More recently, eight-year-old Jake Harding had a “close escape” after he fell in dog mess while warming up to play an under 9’s rugby game at Newbridge RFC in Caerphilly. It narrowly missed his eye which could have had severe consequences for him and his family.
Newbridge RFC has now partnered with Keep Wales Tidy following the incident to highlight the dangers of dog mess.
Club manager Dafydd Martin-Lloyd said: “A young boy left his house excited about going to play a game of rugby. Whilst warming up he was tackled and landed face first in dog mess.
“Due to where it was on his face, and the fact that the worst-case scenario is you can lose your sight from it, it was very alarming. Fortunately, it didn’t go in his eyes but it was a very close escape .
“Dog fouling on our rugby pitch isn’t acceptable and needs to stop. We’ve teamed up with Keep Wales Tidy to urge dog owners to do the right thing and pick up after their pets before a child is seriously harmed.”
A spokesperson from Caerphilly County Borough Council said: “While the majority of dog owners clean up after their pets, there are still a number of irresponsible owners who allow their dogs to foul in public places without clearing up after them.
“As well as being extremely unpleasant for the public and users of sports pitches, there are also serious health risks linked with contaminated dog faeces. The council’s decision to ban dogs from marked sports pitches will help ensure a safe and clean environment for adults and children such as Jake and his teammates to exercise.
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