Prizes for Poo in the Park

Highland Council Enforcement Officers in Inverness are to reward responsible dog owners with prizes over the next three months.  Officers are on the lookout for dog owners who pick up their dog poo and dispose of it properly.  Owners will be rewarded with vouchers from Crown Vets, in Inverness.

Peter Taylor, Highland Council’s Education and Enforcement Officer said: “It is thought that most parkland is contaminated with dog worm eggs and these pose a potentially serious risk to human health. Removing dog waste from these areas keeps our parks clean and risk free.  Irresponsible dog owners should be aware that they are risking a £40.00 fine by not picking up and that they will be caught eventually. Properly bagged waste can now be deposited in litter bins as well as specific dog waste bins and most Highland council service point issue free bags.”

Sonia Howell, Crown Vets manager said: “We are delighted to help The Highland Council with this initiative and help to promote responsible dog ownership.

Rachel Chandler, senior vet at Crown Vets added: “Dog faeces are a known risk for the development of disease in people, particularly children, but fortunately this is easy to prevent by removing dog waste from public areas and by regular treatment of dogs with an effective wormer.

“The disease is a serious one in humans, and can cause blindness in some cases, so it is vital that from a health point of view, as well as an environmental contamination view that dog faeces is disposed of properly and dogs are wormed regularly.”

Children are at the highest risk of infection and there are over a hundred recorded cases of infection in humans each year in the UK resulting in some loss of vision and it is believed that up to 40% of the population have been infected at some time and suffered lesser symptoms, often flue like and not reported to a doctor.

Provost of Inverness, Councillor Jimmy Gray commended the joint initiative between Crown Vets and the Council’s TEC Services, he said: “This project is an excellent idea to encourage dog owners to be more responsible for their pets and to be more considerate for the health and welfare of other park users. Although our Enforcement Officers will be looking to reward considerate pet owners who clear up after their dogs they will also be on the look out at the same time for irresponsible owners.”