Did you know that 24% of the UK adult population have a dog?
That’s over 10 million pet dogs producing over 1,000 tonnes of waste each day! That weighs as much as 200 elephants or 100 double decker buses!
Dog mess affects everyone. It is unpleasant to see it lying around on pavements, in play grounds and other public green spaces. It’s even more unpleasant to step in or to go through it with a pushchair or wheelchair!
As well as being a nuisance, dog mess is unhygienic and can spread disease. It also unfortunately gives dog owners who do clean up after their dogs a bad name. It is the law to clean up after your dog!
We know that most dog owners in the village are responsible and clean up after their pets, but we also know many don’t.
We are running this communication campaign to remind all dog owners about the importance of picking up after their pet to try and ensure the dog mess generated in our village ends up safely in the bin.
The good news is it’s very simple to keep the streets and our public green areas clean.
As part of this campaign, stickers and posters are being rolled out around the parish to encourage all dog owners to act responsibly and to, “please pick up & bag the poo – any public bin will do” (general black waste bins or the dedicated red dog bins). The posters are available here to download if you think you need one near you. Mobile Phone Poster v2 The Poo Fairy Poster v2
In addition, you are also encouraged to report irresponsible dog owners to Durham County Council (DCC), the dog fouling enforcement authority.
This can be done online at: www.durham.gov.uk/dogfouling or by calling: 03000 261 000.
If you can, tell DCC:
- The Date and Time of the dog fouling incident
- The Location
- The description of the dog and its owner,
- The dog owners name and address ( if known)
The reporting of incidents helps DCC to identify the “hotspot” areas across the parish which can then trigger more regular patrols by enforcement officers. Irresponsible dog owners could be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £80, or prosecuted and fined up to £1,000, if they don’t clean up after their dog. Reporting of incidents may also help identify the need for additional bins in some locations.
Be a responsible dog owner and clean up after your pet
