Dog fouling – whether loose or bagged – is offensive, disgusting and a potential health hazard. Dog fouling is not only deeply unpleasant, but also dangerous with the potential to cause toxocariasis – a nasty infection that can lead to dizziness, nausea, asthma and even blindness or seizures.
While most dog owners are caring, responsible individuals, there are still some people who do not clean up after their pets. And with an estimated 13 million dogs in the UK, just a small proportion of people not doing the right thing leads to a deluge of dog waste in the streets and parks.
Whether it’s our research-led campaigns, our innovations, our legal advice, or our work with land managers and dog charities we are working hard to tackle the issue.
35.3 tonnes of poo
We calculated that this is an estimated 35.3 tonnes of poo left unbagged on the ground!
520,000 dog owners
The research showed four per cent - approximately 520,000 dog owners - admit to leaving their dog’s poo unbagged on the ground
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy"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."
We are making a difference. Whether reminding people there’s no such thing as the dog poo fairy, asking them to do it for their dog, or reminding them that we’re watching you, our campaigns make a real impact and are available from Keep Britain Tidy for use by local authorities. By changing behaviours and creating solutions we’ve helped reduce dog-fouling by up to 77% in targeted campaigns, helping people feel proud of where they live.
Through our campaigns, we have also highlighted to dog owners that “Any Bin Will Do” for their pet’s mess. While some councils do provide dedicated dog-fouling bins, any public bin can take the waste. There is no excuse to leave it.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy“Anyone who owns a dog knows that they should pick up after them and, with the massive increase in dog ownership over the past few years, it has never been more important for every owner to do the right thing and clear up after their pet."
How are we tackling dog fouling and what's the impact so far?
Our innovations, legal advice, and work with land managers and dog charities are a few examples of our hard work to tackle the issue. Sometimes changing the behaviour of just a few thoughtless dog owners can make a substantial difference.
In some areas, by changing behaviours and creating solutions we have helped reduce dog-fouling by up to 77%, helping people feel proud of where they live.
We also run campaigns and programmes that contribute to our goals. Our innovative, eye-catching, glow in the dark signs we introduced as part of our award-winning We’re Watching You campaign help to remind thoughtless dog owners “we’re watching you” – they reduce dog fouling by up to 46%.
Did you know?
In England and Wales, local authorities can introduce public spaces protection orders, making it an offence not to clean up dog mess in certain areas. Under those orders, a person who doesn’t clean up after their dog may face an on-the-spot fine of up to £80. These fines are known as fixed penalty notices. If a person refuses to pay they can be taken to the local Magistrates Court for the dog fouling offence and fined up to £1,000.
The system of controlling dog fouling under public spaces protection orders was introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. It replaces the old system of dog control orders under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.
Dog poo littering - FAQs
Dog fouling is not only deeply unpleasant, it is dangerous. Whilst rare, contact with dog excrement can cause toxocariasis – a nasty infection that can lead to dizziness, nausea, asthma and even blindness or seizures.
Zoonotic diseases – that’s diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans - that we can get from contaminated dog faeces include salmonella, campylobacter, giardia, roundworms and potentially hookworms.
Dog waste that gets washed into waterways may carry pathogens that affect living things in the water and can make people sick that are in contact. Also, nutrients released from dog poop can stimulate the growth of algae and other plant life, making the water unsuitable for recreational uses.
On average, dog poop takes about nine weeks to break down and disappear. However, that doesn't mean the pathogens and bacteria inside it disappear too.
If you do not promptly pick up your pet's poop—it can take a year to naturally decompose—the high nitrogen content can burn your green grass, leaving brown dead spots.
Yes, dog fouling is an environmental crime - it's an offence if the owner of a dog allows their animal to foul in a public place without clearing it up. The law allows Environmental Crime Enforcement Officers to give anyone seen not clearing up after their dog an on-the-spot fine called a fixed penalty notice (FPN).
Failure to clean up after your dog in a public area can result in an on-the-spot £100 fixed penalty or prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000. The law states that being unaware a dog has fouled or not having a suitable bag is not a reasonable excuse.
When you consider there are around 13 million of our furry friends in the UK it’s no wonder dog fouling is such a problem. Keep Britain Tidy estimates our dogs produce more than 880 tonnes of mess every day in the UK alone. If someone does fail to clean up after their pet, it falls to the council to get rid of it, which means the cost falls to taxpayers and diverts precious resources.
Through our campaigns, we have highlighted to dog owners that any bin will do for their pet’s mess. While some councils do provide dedicated dog-fouling bins, any public bin can take the waste. There is no excuse to leave it. #BagItBinIt #AnyBinWillDo