Lock-down puppy boom leads to giant poop problem in country’s parks 

• An estimated 880 tonnes of dog poo are deposited in our parks every day – 68 bin wagons’ worth 

• Around 520,000 of dog owners admitted leaving poo unbagged on the ground – equivalent to 35.3 tonnes 

• Approximately 250,000 people leave bagged poo elsewhere (e.g. hanging from a tree, on a post, or under a bush) – equivalent to 17.7 tonnes 

• It would take three to four refuse lorries to shift the poo left by irresponsible dog owners daily 

• People who have become dog owners since the pandemic are less likely to pick up their pets’ poo 

Since the start of the pandemic, it is estimated that the dog population in the UK has grown from nine million to some 13 million, according to Statista.com. 

And, as more and more people sought companionship from a furry friend, this puppy boom was accompanied by a less appealing consequence – dog fouling. 

New research with local authorities from environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy reveals that the amount of dog mess being left by owners in our parks has increased since the start of 2021, with more than half of local authorities surveyed reporting an increase in both unbagged dog poo left on the ground and bagged dog poo ‘carefully’ placed in parks, for example, left hanging from railings or trees. 

In addition, half of councils say they are having to empty bins more frequently as a result of the increased volume of dog poo, 16% have installed bigger bins and more than a quarter (27%) are having to do more frequent litter-picking and cleansing. 

This comes as no surprise as a new survey carried out on behalf of the charity by YouGov revealed that a third of dog owners (34%) visit the park every day, which means that about 4.4 million of our four-legged friends are getting their daily exercise in our beautiful parks and green spaces and, more often than not, having a poo while they’re there. 

Keep Britain Tidy estimates that about 884 tonnes of dog poo is deposited in parks and green spaces across the country every day – that’s almost 68 bin lorries worth! 

While the vast majority of dog owners say that they dispose of their dog’s waste responsibly, either putting it in a bin in the park (85%) or taking it home with them (40%), four per cent, which equates to approximately 520,000 dog owners, admit to leaving their dog’s poo unbagged on the ground. 

Two percent - approximately 260,000 dog owners – admit bagging it but leaving it elsewhere (e.g. hanging from a tree, on a post, or under a bush). 

From the estimated 35.3 tonnes of poo left unbagged on the ground, to approximately 17.7 tonnes of bagged poops left on trees or railings, the dog mess left by irresponsible owners would require between three and four average bin lorries to clear it away. 

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “Anyone who owns a dog knows that they should pick up after them and, with the massive increase in dog ownership over the past two years, it has never been more important for every owner to do the right thing and clear up after their pet. 

“In our new research with YouGov we also asked parents of children aged four to 11 what would put them off taking their children to the park and almost half of them (49%) mentioned dog poo as a problem, at the same time as they told us that a visit to the park made their children happier (88%) and that it was a highlight of their day (62%). 

“Our wonderful parks and green spaces should be a safe space for everyone to enjoy – places we can all love - so it’s absolutely vital that dog owners are responsible and bag their dog’s poo and bin it.” 

Commenting on the challenges local authorities are facing in tackling the problem, one park manager said: “Unfortunately people are lazy about it, and are irresponsible, and changing people’s mentality about picking up after their dogs is a real challenge.” 

Love Parks Week is an annual campaign run by Keep Britain Tidy to celebrate the variety of parks and green spaces – from large urban parks to small local playgrounds – and encourage people to value and respect them. 

The campaign is sponsored by outdoor clothing brand Regatta Great Outdoors and made possible thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery. 

A spokesperson for Regatta said: “Regatta Great Outdoors is proud to be sponsoring Love Parks Week 2022 in association with Keep Britain Tidy.  

We are working together to help protect our green spaces and keep them safe for everyone to enjoy.” 

To learn more about our work supporting councils and landowners, contact network.enquiries@keepbritaintidy.org.

*Calculations by Keep Britain Tidy