Bag it and bin it, say council

Rochdale Borough Council is urging all dog owners to ‘bag it and bin it’

Next week is National Poop Scoop Week (26 to 31 July) – so Rochdale Borough Council is reminding all dog owners to ‘bag it and bin it’ as part of its crackdown on dog fouling.
National Poop Scoop Week, a Dogs Trust initiative, urges dog owners to pick up after their dog and help keep public spaces clean and safe. While the majority of dog owners do the decent thing and pick up after their dog, it is the careless few that give dogs and their owners a bad reputation.

Dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets face a £50 fine or a maximum penalty on conviction of £1,000.

Each year, local authorities receive thousands of complaints about dog mess. In fact, MPs receive more complaints about dog fouling than any other issue, according to Dogs Trust.

Councillor David Clayton, Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “A common excuse made by those caught not picking up after their dog is no bins or signs. Our approach is simple – never let your dog foul and leave it. Bin or no bin. Sign or no sign.”

Councillor Clayton added: “It’s not only disgusting but it endangers people’s health. Dog fouling is illegal, and our enforcement officers regularly patrol open land, parks and streets, and if anyone is caught failing to pick up after their dog and put its mess in the bin – they will be prosecuted and/or fined.”