Concern of increased Dog Fouling on the Needham Estate has been reported.
There Are No Rubbish Excuses
In view of recent comments on social media and the increased amount of dog waste within our environment there is an obvious lack of understanding amongst some people regarding the responsibility of owning or walking a dog.
While most dog owners are caring, responsible individuals, there are still some people who do not clean up after their dogs.
Those acting irresponsibly are affecting all the local population.
Anyone who fails to clear up after their dog can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100. If the case goes to court this could cost the owner or person in charge of the animal 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.
Dog fouling and bins
Recently there have been more reports of dog waste on pavements, dog waste bags placed on top of bins, bags hung on fences or thrown on the ground. Bins that are clearly full are surrounded by dog waste bags.
Dog fouling
If you walk a dog, even one belonging to someone else, you are responsible for clearing up after it.
Dog faeces can cause problems to users of parks and sports grounds and nobody likes it left outside their front gate. It can also carry diseases including Toxocariasis, which can lead to serious illness, including blindness. This can be a particular risk for children.
Dog waste bins
In recent years national guidance on the disposal of dog waste has changed and it is no longer necessary to separate dog waste from other types of household waste.
For this reason, dedicated dog waste bins are no longer required, and waste can be disposed of in any available litter bin or your black household bin.
Please remember that the absence of a dog waste bin or litter bin is not an excuse to leave your dog’s waste behind. Take your dog waste home.
How should I dispose of my dog’s waste?
As a rule, it is always better to dispose of your dog’s waste at home:
- In your domestic waste bin (black bin). Make sure you double wrap the waste to prevent smells. Biodegradable dog waste bags are available from some retailers and provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bags.
- You might also want to consider a dog waste decomposer, or similar ‘dog toilet’ which can be bought from some pet supplies retailers and set up in your garden.
Dog waste can also be disposed of using a litter bin or dog waste bin while you are out, but if you cannot find one you must take your waste home.
You should never leave dog waste bags on the ground or hanging on a fence or trees. As well as being unpleasant for other people, this is littering, and you could incur a fine.
To reduce the need to pick up dog waste during walks, you could try training your dog to go at home and walking the dog before meals so that there is less to pick up.
To help local authorities monitor and maintain cleansing report bins that are full or near capacity. If a bin is full, look for another bin or take it home.
There are no excuses for not cleaning up. Your dog waste is your responsibility always either as an owner or someone walking a dog. You can not blame councils for not providing or emptying bins. If there are no bins available anywhere then you must take it home.
You pay to have your bins at home emptied so you already have a dog waste service provided.
Increased provision of dog bins and litter bins, extra cleaning, and removal of dog waste from public areas will increase your fees for services provided.
You can receive a fine for not cleaning up and if you leave a bag anywhere other than a bin, you can receive a fine for littering.