There’s no such thing as the Dog Poo Fairy

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There are currently around eight million dogs in the UK, producing approximately one million metric tonnes of faeces each year – that’s enough to lay 1,300 Wembley pitches!

Many dog owners responsibly throw away a large proportion of this mess, but there are still owners out there who are prepared to leave their dog’s mess littered on our streets, in our parks and around our countryside.

Dog mess can be thrown in any general litter bin but a recent Keep Britain Tidy survey shows that four out of five respondents are not aware of this.

In East Lindsey alone, the District Council has received 255 complaints about dog fouling in the last 12 months from residents who are annoyed by those dog owners who are irresponsible.

Keep Britain Tidy has today launched its latest campaign to help combat the problem, calling on dog owners to bag and bin their dog’s mess as ‘there’s no such thing as the dog poo fairy’!

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.

East Lindsey District Council is one of 85 partner councils across England who have joined Keep Britain Tidy to clean up their streets from dog mess. The Council will be carrying out a combination of plain clothes and high visibility patrols throughout the District and is encouraging local people to report those people who don’t clear up after their pets.

East Lindsey District Council Dog Warden, Sue Garland, explained: “Dog Fouling can be a blight on our communities. No-one should be allowed to get away with irresponsible dog ownership and we are working hard to make sure they don’t. We’re all proud of our local areas and I would encourage people to unite to tackle this problem. We know it’s only a small number of dog owners who are irresponsible and this is a clear case of where the minority affect the majority, but together we can fight this menace.”