Most dog owners are responsible people and clear up after their pets. However some do not show this consideration and as a result, dog fouling on paths, lanes and parks can become a problem. This page explains what the law says about dog fouling, what the council can do and how residents can help.
Let us know if you would like to report an incident of dog fouling.|
The council wishes to provide a clean borough for all its residents to enjoy. We believe everyone should contribute to this and for dog owners, this means clearing up after their dog.
The law makes dog fouling an offence under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996, unless the person in charge of the dog clears up immediately.
There is an exception for registered blind people who are in charge of a guide dog.
Anyone who does not clear up may be liable to a fixed penalty fine, currently set at £50.00.
However a fixed penalty can only be served if there is a reliable witness to the offence. It does not have to be a council officer - it could be a resident who is prepared to write an accurate witness statement describing what they saw and identifying the dog and the person in charge, if he or she is present.
But witnessing an offence is not always as easy as it sounds. It is a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
You may be able to help if you have information that could lead to our officers witnessing an offence.
For instance, do you know anyone who does not clear up after their dog? Have you every witnessed an offence occurring? If so, are you prepared to give us a witness statment?
If so please contact us|.
This sort of information can help us plan our patrols at the times offences are most likely to occur.
We can increase our street cleaning partrols in problem areas. While this will help to keep the streets clean, it will not prevent the dog fouling occurring.
We can also increase the number of no fouling signs in the area. If you know of a good place for additional signs, let us know.|
We can provide dog waste bins, with agreement of those people living near to the bin. Again if you can think of a good place for a bin, let us know|.