‘Bag it and Bin it’ message promoted in Inverness during National Poop Scoop week
The Highland Council, in association with The Dogs Trust and Keep Scotland Beautiful will be encouraging responsible dog ownership and reminding all dog owners to ‘Bag it & Bin it’ during National Poop Scoop Week 2011 which runs from 25th July to 31st July.
In the Eastgate Shopping Centre from 10.30am onwards on Thursday 28 July, the Council will be enlisting the help of a friendly canine character to remind people to clean up after their dog. Leaflets and free poop scoop bags will be handed out and staff will be available to give advice and answer any questions.
The information display stand will be in a prominent position upstairs in the shopping centre opposite Waterstone’s book shop. Provost Jimmy Gray will be coming along to help the dog mascot promote the ‘Bag it & Bin it’ message. He said: “The Council is delighted to be taking part in Poop Scoop week but of course picking up dog waste needs to be encouraged all year round. We have distributed around 1 million dog waste bags in the last year for dog walkers to use. This goes to show that the vast majority of dog walkers do pick up immediately after the dogs have fouled but a careless number are still giving dogs a bad name. It is one of the issues that the Council receives the most complaints about. We want to ensure we have a clean and safe environment for all the community. Bag it and Bin it is a simple action plan everyone can follow.”
Donna Wilson, Senior National Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “It is fantastic that the Highland Council is taking part in National Poop Scoop Week 2011.
“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!
“It is great having the support of local councils such as The Highland Council, as it really does help to spread the ‘Grab it, bag it, bin it’ message, and we hope their National Poop Scoop Week is a huge success.”
The law makes it an offence if a dog fouls anywhere to where the public have access. Any waste must be immediately pick it up and dispose of correctly. If not dog owners can face a £40 penalty.
Over 20 dog walkers were fined in the Highlands last year for failing to pick up after their dogs.
James Sanderson Education and Enforcement officer with The Highland Council said: “Despite the signs, the posters and the free bags there are still dog walkers who think it is okay to leave dog waste on the ground. Some people think it’s alright if their dog fouls on a beach but this is in many ways worse as children will play with the sand and walk on beaches in bare feet. The tide can wash sand over a dog mess and it makes a beach like a minefield for anyone wanting to enjoy the beautiful coastal areas we have in our Highlands.”
“Issuing fixed penalties to those that fail to clean up after their dogs is a job well worth doing if it means we have a cleaner safer place to enjoy.”
Also in a move to tackle the problem of dog fouling, The Highland Council is rolling out the “Green Dog Walkers “scheme throughout Highland. This is a friendly, non confrontational scheme, designed to be run by community groups, where responsible dog walkers are invited to take the pledge to always clean up after their dogs and to encourage other dog owners to do the same. Schemes are already up and running in Dingwall, Rosemarkie, Grantown, Auultbea and Fort William with others to start up shortly in Cromarty, Dores, Inverness and Wick.