A woman who failed to pick up her dog's poo in Carmarthen, Wales, has turned herself in to local authorities after footage of the incident was posted online, the council said in a statement published Wednesday (3 January).

More than 30,000 people watched the clip as it spread across social media. It showed the mystery woman walking her dog along John Street in Carmarthen, waiting for it to defecate and then walking away, making no attempt to clean up the mess left behind.

The incident, the council said, occurred on 9 December 2017. The clip went viral, quickly attracting hundreds of reactions, shares and comments after it was shared to the Facebook profiles of the Carmarthenshire Council and two regional media outlets, Wales Online and the Carmarthen Journal.

The woman, who has not been publicly named, was later tipped off by someone she knew. Later, she identified herself to the council and the enforcement department is following the legal process. It remains unclear if the culprit will face police prosecution.

Under Welsh law, it is an offence not to clean up after dogs.

If anyone fails to comply with the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) they are committing a criminal offence and can be issued with a fixed penalty notice of £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 10 days. The maximum fine if prosecuted in the magistrates court is £1,000.

Councillor Philip Hughes, the executive board member for responsible for enforcement, issued a statement to thank the public for their assistance in identifying the woman responsible.

He said: "Without their help this woman would have simply got away with it. We will continue to act on information provided by the public to help us catch offenders."

Hughes had some tough words for any potential future offenders.

"We have a zero tolerance for dog fouling in Carmarthenshire," he said. "The majority of dog owners act responsibly by cleaning up after their pets in public places, however there is a minority who have complete disregard of the law and it's completely unacceptable.

"Not only is it an unpleasant smell and the mess created when it gets on pram wheels, wheelchairs, shoes and clothing, there is a potential health risk associated with dog faeces. We will continue to use our powers to fine anyone who is caught in person or by CCTV not cleaning up after their dog.

"Be warned, we will be watching!"

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