Dog owners invited to poop scoop event in Castle Heather Park

Dog owners are being encouraged nationally to help keep streets and public spaces clean this summer by following the simple ‘Grab it, bag it, bin it’ mantra as part of National Poop Scoop Week 2009.

And a travelling road show will be visiting Castle Heather Park, Inverness on Monday 22 June 2009 from 11.00 till 19.00 as part of the week long campaign.  Giant dog mascots will be strolling about the park while staff from the Dog’s Trust, Keep Scotland Beautiful and The Highland Council will be on hand to provide information and free poo bags to dog walkers.  A dog chipping service, at reduced rate of £10, will also be provided by the Council’s dog warden for Fort William.

A recent survey shows that 52% of people think dog poo is the most offensive waste item found on our streets and public spaces, and as seven percent of Scottish streets are affected by it, Keep Scotland Beautiful believes that there is still a need to get the message out that leaving your dog’s poo for someone to stand in is not acceptable – which is why it is facilitating National Poop Scoop Week in Scotland.

Keep Scotland Tidy Programme Manager, Donna Niven, said, “Keep Scotland Beautiful has recorded a reduction in overall levels of dog fouling on our streets in recent years, but it is still offends a significant number of people in public spaces.   Approximately 1,000 tonnes of dog poo is produced a day in the UK, and while the majority of owners are responsible and pick up after their dogs, a careless minority are still leaving the mess behind for others to step in, and each year thousands of complaints are made to local authorities, the press, councillors and MSPs about dog fouling spoiling our parks and streets”.

National Poop Scoop Week is all about persuading people to take three important steps towards reducing the problem of dog fouling in Scotland. 
1. GRAB IT - Always keep a supply of bags near your dog's lead so you don't forget to take them with you on every walk. Simply insert your hand in the bag and pick up your dog’s waste.
2. BAG IT - Carefully turn the bag inside out and ‘bag’ your dog’s mess.
3. BIN IT - Dispose of the bag in a bin. Dog waste can be put in a public litter bin if a specific dog waste bin is not provided.

Provost of Inverness, Jimmy Gray said:  “I am delighted that the road show will be visiting Inverness to raise awareness and we welcome the opportunity to be involved in this important national campaign.  The majority of dog owners act responsibly, and do clear-up after their dogs, but there is unfortunately a minority who give no consideration to others. My colleagues and I receive a lot of complaints about dog fouling.  The mess created is offensive and unhygienic and can pose a risk to public health, especially children, sportsmen and pregnant women.  We provide special bins in public areas for the disposal of dog waste and free bags so there is no excuse.   Officials will be targetting owners who continue to behave irresponsibly and break the law. Anyone failing to clean up after their dog could receive a fixed penalty of £40, which rises to £60 if not paid within 28 days. “
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