Residents urged not to fall foul of the law

Dog fouling is the most unacceptable and offensive type of litter on our streets. It is unpleasant to see it in parks, on the pavement and particularly on your shoes!

Cllr Andrew Doherty, Cabinet Member for Environmental Health, said: “I know that the vast majority of dog owners are very responsible and ensure that their dogs waste is removed. Sadly, a small number of owners do not and this results in an unsightly mess and a health hazard being left throughout the district.

“Dog fouling is consistently one of the largest sources of complaints the Council receives from the public. That’s why I’m appealing to all dog owners to discard of dog waste correctly to ensure our beautiful district is kept clean and safe for everyone.”

Seen as one of the biggest nuisances blighting public spaces, dog fouling is not only an unpleasant sight and smell, its also unhygienic and carries the risk of spreading disease.

Whilst rare, contact with dog excrement can be extremely dangerous and cause toxocariasis. This is an infection caused by the roundworm Toxocara Canis. Eggs of the parasite are often found in soil or sand contaminated with dog faeces and if swallowed, result in an infection that lasts between 6 and 12 months and can cause blindness. Infected soil samples are often found in play-areas and toxocariasis most commonly affects children between 18 months and 5 years.

Cleaning up after your dog is one of the key responsibilities of dog ownership, especially in public places. The best way is to use a doggy bag, or a carrier bag, to pick up the faeces. Ideally, this should then be placed in a designated dog bin. However, a lack of a nearby bin is no excuse. To bag it and leave poo bags in trees, on fences or on the ground is also completely unacceptable as this is extremely bad for the environment.

The Council is calling on all residents to take action against dog owners who have not cleaned up after their dog by reporting offences to the Council’s Environmental and Regulatory Services team.

Residents can report incidents of dog fouling on the council website and should note details of the offence such as date, time and place, the name and address of the person in charge of the dog (if known), and a description of the dog.

For more information or to make a report, please visit our website: https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/environment/litter-street-cleaning-and-dog-fouling/