Bag it, Bin it.

Council backs campaign to combat dog fouling

20 September 2010

Cheshire West and Chester Council has joined forces with Keep Britain Tidy against irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up after their pets.

Many dog owners are responsible and collect and throw away their dog’s mess, but there are still owners who do not, leaving our streets, parks and countryside littered with dog faeces.

Dog fouling is not only unpleasant, but can be dangerous. Fronting the national Keep Britain Tidy campaign is two-year-old Amiee Langdon, who has tragically lost partial sight in her left eye after falling in dog mess last month. Amiee’s mum, Suzanne, is calling on all dog owners to clean up after their pets to prevent anyone else suffering the same fate as Amiee.

Dog mess can be thrown in any general litterbin but a recent Keep Britain Tidy survey shows that four out of five respondents are not aware of this. Their campaign calls on dog owners to bag and bin their dog’s mess as ‘there’s no such thing as the dog poo fairy’.

Cheshire West and Chester Council is supporting Keep Britain Tidy by launching its own campaign at a roadshow at the Stanney Estate in Ellesmere Port on 30 September. Roadshows will then follow in Tarporley, Chester and Winsford.

The Council’s Executive Member for Community and Environment, Councillor Lynn Riley said: “Dog fouling is one of the top complaints received by the Council. Our campaign posters focus on the danger to young children and carry a clear message that dog fouling is unacceptable.

“It's not anti-dog but about responsible dog ownership and it’s important that we keep our streets and parks clean and safe places for all of us, especially children, to enjoy."

Phil Barton chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy said: “Dog fouling is the most offensive type of litter on our streets and is constantly rated as one of the most important issues blighting their local area by the public.

“Having our streets and parks caked in dog mess is disgusting. It looks unsightly, can make areas appear run down, is unpleasant for those who stand in it and is dangerous to our health.

“Being a responsible dog owner means picking up after your pet. A large percentage of the public are unsure as to where they can bin their dog’s mess - the simple message is any general litter bin.”

In recent years, there has been a growing problem of dog waste bags found hanging on trees, on railings or stuffed in hedges. It would appear that some dog owners are picking up their dog’s mess but are then simply dumping the bags. Keep Britain Tidy’s latest campaign aims to raise awareness that any litter bin can be used to dispose of dog mess.