Highland team tackles dog fouling during national Poop Scoop Week

Dog fouling is one of the main areas of concern for residents in the Highlands and that is why The Highland Council is playing its part in National Poop Scoop Week, which begins on Monday 26 July. Organised by Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Dogs’ Trust,  the week aims to persuade dog owners to keep the Highlands clean and tidy and to “grab it, bag it and bin it”.

On Monday 26 July, Council staff will be at Tesco car park in Dingwall to hand out free poop scoop bags. On Tuesday they will be speaking to dog owners on Gairloch beach before spending Wednesday and Thursday in Fort William.  On Friday, they will end the week by speaking to dog owners on Rosemarkie beach.

Councillor John Laing, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services, said:  “We welcome this focus on tackling dog fouling. Let’s remember that allowing dogs to foul on pavements and in public space without clearing up is illegal.  It is also disgusting and poses a health risk, in particular to young children.  As a Councillor, I receive lots of complaints from people about this issue so I am delighted that to our officers will be supporting  the national campaign by getting out and about to talk to dog people and make then aware of their duties as responsible dog owners.”

Keep Scotland Tidy Campaigns Officer, Valerie Carson, said: “It is fantastic that The Highland Council is running so many events during National Poop Scoop Week 2010.  National Poop Scoop Week is a joint campaign organised by the Dogs Trust and Keep Scotland Tidy, which aims to remind dog walkers in a fun and friendly way to ‘Grab it, bag it, bin it’. 

“Keep Scotland Beautiful has recorded a reduction in overall levels of dog fouling on our streets in recent years, but it 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 about dog fouling spoiling our parks and streets.  And it is illegal not to pick up after your dog – you can be fined £40 – so it makes sense to bag the waste and place it in the nearest convenient bin… and please don’t just leave the bag for others to find!”

Ends