Dog owners in South Gloucestershire are being reminded to dispose of their dog’s waste responsibly as part of a new campaign launching this month.
The ‘Bag it and bin it’ message aims to remind dog owners that they can dispose of dog waste both in their black household waste bins as well as in any available litter bin – and that waste should never be left behind.
Chair of the council’s Communities Committee Cllr Claire Young said:
“Lots of our residents enjoy keeping a dog and most of them accept that responsible ownership includes the chore of cleaning up after them.”
“However we’ve all seen occasions when people either don’t clear up at all, or bag the waste but leave it hanging on a nearby fence or hedge.”
“As well as being unsightly this is a nuisance for other residents and can be a significant health hazard because dog waste can carry diseases including Toxocariasis, which can lead to serious illness, including blindness.”
“So this campaign aims to remind people that they must clear up after their dog, ideally by taking waste home for disposal in their black bin or by disposing of it in any nearby litter bin.”
As part of the campaign, ‘dual use’ plaques will soon be placed on South Gloucestershire litter bins to remind dog owners that all litter bins can be used for dog waste.
Changes to national legislation in recent years dispensed with the need to separate dog waste from other forms of waste. Some parishes within South Gloucestershire intend to continue providing dog waste bins, but others will be dispensing with dedicated bins altogether in coming months.
Posters have been placed in the district’s parks to highlight the message that litter bins and black bins can be used for dog waste.
Anybody walking a dog – whether it is theirs or not – is legally required to clean up after them and failure to do so can lead to a fixed penalty notice and possible prosecution.
Further information on dog waste disposal in South Gloucestershire is available from www.southglos.gov.uk/dogfouling
Under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act of 1996, anybody who lets their dog foul land open to public access and does not clear up afterwards can be given a fixed penalty notice. Those who receive a notice must pay a £50 fine within 14 day otherwise they may be prosecuted and could be fined up to £1,000. It can also, in extreme cases, be an offence under the Environmental Protection Act of 1990 to allow large amounts of dog faeces to build up in a domestic garden. Dog faeces will attract flies and will smell in hot weather and dog owners are encouraged to respect their neighbours’ rights and clear up their garden daily.
In 2013, South Gloucestershire Council dog wardens investigated 305 reports of persistent dog fouling, and issued four Fixed Penalty Notices to people who were witnessed not clearing up after their dog.
Source: South Gloucestershire Council
