Dog fouling

Advice for dog owners

If a dog is in your care for any length of time, it's your responsibility to clean up the mess.

  • Plastic fantastic: always carry a plastic bag so you can pick up your dog’s mess. You can use any plastic bag to put your dog's mess in​​.
  • Bag it and bin it: dispose of tightly tied poo bags in a dog poop bin, ANY public litter bin or your council waste bin at home. Hanging poo bags on tree branches is a littering offence and fines are enforceable.
  • No sign, no excuse: if there is no sign to prohibit dog fouling, you must still pick up after your dog wherever it does its mess - sign or no sign, bin or no bin.
  • Garden training: if you have a garden, train your dog to do its mess there and make sure you clean up and put it in your refuse bin straight away. Never put animal mess in your garden bin.
  • Never let your dog go out to do its mess alone.
  • Don’t rely on the rain to wash dog mess way: this isn't an excuse.​​​