Dog Fouling

Dog Poo is smelly, unsightly and dangerous to children. Lazy Dog owners are the ones who don’t pick up the dog poo.

Dog excrement carries health risks to humans by providing a breeding ground for harmful parasites and bacteria. The most damaging of these is Toxocara canis, a roundworm which lays its eggs in dog faeces. The eggs may be transferred to the soil and enter the human system. This can cause the Toxocariasis infection, which ranges from mild, flu-like symptoms to asthma, epilepsy, serious eye damage and even permanent blindness. Children are particularly at risk of infection.

Bag it, Tie it and Bin it

It is the law that you must clean up after your dog. This means bagging the dog dirt and disposing of it. You can take it home and put it in your own bin or you can use public litter bins. Do not leave bagged dog dirt anywhere else.

By picking up your dog’s dirt immediately, you can help to reduce the possibility of Toxocariasis infection.

This lets everyone enjoy their local environment and makes a walk a more pleasurable experience.

• Get into the habit of keeping bags in your jacket pocket or beside the dog lead, or keeping a poop scoop in a visible place, ready to pick up as you walk out of the door.
• Find out where the dog or litter bins are on your walking route. Sometimes you may have to wait until you get home to put the feces in an outdoor bin.
• Do not drop the full bag in the countryside. There is no-one else to pick it up. It is also against the law.
• Encourage other dog owners and walkers to act responsibly too.

If you see a dog fouling problem call the freephone number 0800 376 1030 or email – dogfouling@scotborders.gov.uk to report it.