Teddy’s Top Training Tip: It is an offence not to pick up after your dog and dispose of the bag appropriately – please remember to carry poo bags at all times.
It is an offence not to pick up after your dog and dispose of it appropriately.
Dog owners who do not pick their dog faeces are one major concern for everyone and it is not getting any better, in fact, it seems that avoiding stepping in dog mess is a daily occurrence in the UK.
It is not only unpleasant for other dog owners but also the general public. If left in the street or the local park/country walk/beach people step in it, they may cycle through it, push a wheelchair or buggy through it or a child may trip and fall in it. If you are unaware that you have stepped in it, then you are spreading the mess into your place of work, public areas (shops, restaurants, etc) and your home or someone else’s home.
There are many health hazards if dog owners do not pick up after their dogs, one is toxocariasis which can cause serious illness humans, especially children. This is because young children often pick up things from the ground and if they do not wash their hands properly then often hands and it can transfer from hands to the mouth.
To prevent health hazards, pick up after your dog has toileted and placed the bagged faeces in the many appropriately labelled bins. Do not hang it from a tree, or in a hedge, on a fence or even leaving it bagged on the pavement.
It is against the law not to pick up after your dog. Even if another member of the family/friend/dog walker/neighbour walks the dog, they need to take sufficient waste bags with them to clean up any dog mess. Your local council can issue fixed penalty orders in relation to dog control orders and these penalties can vary from council to council.
Some areas of Kent are introducing new laws that will fine dog walkers for not carrying at least two bags to pick up after their dog’s mess. Carrying bags so that you can dispose of your dog’s mess should be part of your dog walking equipment.