Report dog fouling

Introduction

Dog fouling is the offence of being in charge of a dog and failing to remove the dog mess from a public place.

By law, dog owners or walkers must immediately remove their dog’s mess from areas where people have the right to walk or enjoy. If you cannot find a dog waste bin, you must take the bag home and dispose of it properly.

Dog mess is a common complaint because it looks horrible, smells and can spread disease.

Touching dog mess can cause an infection called Toxocara canis, leading to dizziness, nausea, asthma and even blindness or seizures.

Why you have to pick it up

Not picking up

• damages your local environment
• increases tension between dog owners and others
• ruins everyone’s enjoyment of walking in our parks
• prevents children running freely and can make sports fields unusable
• is a very unpleasant to remove from shoes, wheelchair and pushchair wheels

Apart from it being unsightly, smelly and attracting flies the dog mess can carry parasites that can cause us harm

Dog mess is not dangerous if it is picked up correctly. Use a bag or a pooper scooper so you do not touch the mess and it is perfectly safe to collect.

How you can reduce dog fouling

Every dog owner has a duty to clean up after their dog. You can make this easier by thinking and planning ahead.

• Try to get your dog to use your garden (if you have one) before going out for a walk
• Take what you need to clear up any mess. For example, a ‘pooper scooper’ from the pet shop, or a small trowel and a plastic bag
• Always carry poo bags and throw them in a dog or litter bin. Not disposing of a ‘poo’ bag correctly is also a dog fouling and littering offence
• Do not put dog bags in green garden recycling bins
• Always watch your dog so you know when and where it has messed
• Never let your dog out unsupervised when it needs to relieve itself
• Keep your dog away from sports pitches – we receive complaints from the players and officials when they come across it during a game
• Do not let your dog roam the streets
• Report any dog fouling you see

If there are no dog bins nearby

You must be prepared by taking out poo bags or a scoop each time you take your dog out to pick up the mess every time. This is a responsibility that comes with dog ownership. You can throw dog mess in public litter bins if they are available, or take it home and put it in your regular rubbish bin.

Where the law applies

It is the dog owner’s responsibility to clean up after the dog if it messes in a public area. If you do not, you may incur a Fixed Penalty Notice or a criminal conviction in Court.

The law applies almost everywhere outside your garden, even if there aren’t any signs. This includes parks, footpaths, open spaces, verges, alleyways, playing fields, beaches and any other public place. There are now many signs up in these areas, but the law applies whether there are signs or not.

Exemptions from the law

People who are registered blind are not expected to clean up after their dog.

If you feel you have a genuine reason why you should be exempt, please speak with the Dog Warden at the time. If you are in this position, you should train your dog to go at home if possible.

How to report

If you know of anyone not clearing up after their dog, please report it to us. Any information provided will be treated confidentially.

If you do not know the dog owner, please let us know:

• the time that you witnessed the dog fouling and the location
• a brief description of the dog and the owner
• any vehicle details – the registration number, make and model of any vehicle used by the dog owner

Please provide as much detail as possible and this will help the Dog Wardens in their investigation.

If you know the owner and are willing to provide a formal witness statement, we can approach the dog owner.

Please report it by completing the Report Anti-social Behaviour form below or phone us in confidence on 01278 435294.