Dog Fouling FAQ

Dog Fouling

There is estimated to be somewhere between 8.3 and 10.5 million dogs in Britain producing around one million metric tonnes of faeces each year. Although the majority of dog owners are responsible and clear up after their pets, the Council still receives a substantial number of complaints about dog fouling from members of the public. This article tries to set the record straight on many of the questions asked.

Is Dog Mess a Health Hazard?

Apart from being an unpleasant nuisance if you step in it, fall in it, cycle through it, or wheel your wheelchair through it, dog mess can also be a health hazard. Both dog and cat faeces can contain the eggs of the roundworm 'Toxocara'. These eggs can survive in the soil for several years. If they are ingested or inhaled by humans, they may cause eye, liver, brain and respiratory problems such as asthma, hepatitis and epilepsy. Children playing in fouled recreation areas are most at risk. Dog waste is also a potential health risk to farmers' livestock if you allow your dog to foul in their fields.

How Can I Reduce the Risks From 'Toxocara'?

The most important thing you can do is to worm your cats and dogs regularly. Both puppies and kittens may be born with roundworm 'Toxocara' which is passed to them through their mother's milk. It is therefore vital that all pups and kittens are wormed regularly, according to the advice of your vet. In urban areas adult dogs should be wormed every 3 months and in rural areas, every 6 months.

Do I Have to Clean Up After My Dog?

The Council has made an order The Fouling of Land by Dogs(Borough of Charnwood) Order 2007 which makes it an offence not to clean up after your dog has fouled on public land
Provided that you clear up and dispose of the poop scoop in a proper manner you will have no problems.
Anyone who is found not clearing up immediately after the dog has fouled the footpath,verge,park,open space etc may be asked to pay a fixed penalty of £80.00,with a discounted sum of £50.00 if paid within 10 days,or risk the alternative of proceedings in a Magistrates' Court, where the maximum penalty on conviction is £1,000

So Where Can My Dog Foul?

Every responsible dog owner should train their dog to go at home. When you take your dog out for a walk you should always carry a poop scoop just in case your dog should get caught short!

What if I Forget to Take a Scoop with Me?

This is no defence. Cleaning up after your dog is an essential part of your responsibility as a dog owner.

How Can I Stop My Dog From Fouling Where He Shouldn't?

Most dog owners have house-trained pets but this is only the beginning. Your dog can be trained to relieve itself on command. More information on toilet training your pet is available from the Council Offices. Close control and supervision of your dog when you take it for a walk means you will be aware of when he fouls and therefore able to clean it up.

What Can I Use to Clean Up After My Dog?

'Poop scoops' are freely available from the Council and there are many commercial 'poop scoops' available from pet shops. However, a plastic bag, eg, a supermarket carrier or nappy disposal bag used in conjunction with something absorbent such as kitchen towel or newspaper will do the job admirably at virtually no cost.

Where Can I Dispose of Used Poop Scoops?

If you do not wish to carry them home for disposal then it is perfectly permissible for a properly sealed bag or scoop to be deposited in a normal street litter bin. In some areas special Dog Waste bins have been provided as well.

Wouldn't Education Be Better Than Enforcement?

The Council is fully committed to education in conjunction with enforcement. The Dog Warden gives talks and presentations at local schools in an attempt to educate the dog owners of the future. His wish is to change attitudes through education and eradicate any embarrassment people seem to feel in using a poop scoop. It is his hope that as people start to take responsibility and clean up after their dogs so it will become an embarrassment for those who continue not to use a scoop.

I Am Fed Up with the Dog Mess in My Area. Is There Anything I Can Do?

As a member of the public, you can provide important information to the Dog Warden to assist in bringing about prosecution. If you have any information relating to someone failing to clean up after their dog, then you should contact the Dog Control Service on the number above.