Environmental Health

Dog Fouling

Why you should clean-up after your dog!

Allowing your dog to foul a public area is no longer environmentally acceptable.

• It damages your local environment.
• It increases tension between non-dog and dog owners.
• It ruins everyone's enjoyment of walking in our parks.
• It prevents children running freely or playing sports on open grassland.
• It turns a walk to the shops into a battle with dog faeces.
• It is a very unpleasant substance to wash off shoes, clothing or children.
• It can spread disease.
• It is an offence not to clean up after your dog and you could be fined £40

Healthy Dog, Happy Dog

Dog faeces can contain worm eggs, which remain on, or in the soil long after the faeces has weathered away. The eggs can be ingested by other dogs, thus continuing the cycle. Your walk in the park could result in your dog becoming infected through contact with another dog's faeces.

Dog faeces may affect young children if the worm eggs are ingested.

To prevent infection between dogs and to keep your dog free from worms, remember to worm your dog frequently - at least every 6 months.

What does Environmental Health do?

Environmental Health offers free poop scoop bags, which are available from their office, libraries and activity centres. However, supplies are limited and dog owners and walkers are reminded that it is their responsibility to pick up and dispose of after their dogs. That responsibility includes providing their own bags. Whilst we will endeavour to continue to provide free bags you may find that from time to time supplies are subject to availability.

Bins for disposal are widely available in parks and many streets throughout the area. Responsible dog owners always pick up after their dogs.

Approximately 80 tonnes of dog faeces are picked up in South Ayrshire every year. Responsible dog owners are to be congratulated on this accomplishment.

Dogs and the Law what does it say?

If anybody sees a dog-owner who doesn't clean up after his or her dog and they can identify them they should report this to the Environmental Health Division or the Police.

The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 has made it an offence not to clean up after your dog in any public place with a fixed penalty of £40.