Telford & Wrekin Council is joining a nationwide campaign that means to fight back against dog walkers who don’t scoop their dog’s poop.
Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has joined forces with a number of local authorities across the country in a bid to reduce dog fouling. The new campaign follows a social experiment by Keep Britain Tidy – and that Telford & Wrekin Council also participated in – that saw an average reduction of 46 per sent in the levels of dog fouling.
Feedback suggested that dog fouling tends to occur at night time and during the winter months, as some dog owners feel that they can’t be seen ‘under the cover of darkness’. The “We’re watching you” campaign sets its sights on irresponsible dog owners, with recent research showing that dog walkers are more responsible, and pick up after their dogs, when they think that they are being watched. The “We’re watching you” poster series are visible after dark and use innovative, cutting-edge materials.
In Telford and Wrekin, the Council is working closely with PCSOs to increase patrols in areas where there are lots of reports of dog fouling. The campaign in Telford and Wrekin is being funded through the Pride In Your Community programme. Pride In Your Community is a £13.6 million package of environmental and infrastructure improvements aiming to significantly improve residential and employment areas including district and borough towns. Councillor Shaun Davies, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “Dog fouling is an issue that is raised by residents on a regular basis as something they want addressed in the borough.
“We know that the vast majority of dog owners are responsible people, who habitually pick up after their dog and dispose of the poo bags correctly, either in the nearest bin or by taking home to dispose of in their own household waste bin. “This campaign aims to remind those who do not do this as regularly, to pick up their dog’s poo. “We are pleased to be working with Keep Britain Tidy and to be a part of this cutting edge campaign.”
Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Phil Barton said: “We are delighted that Telford & Wrekin Council is joining with us for this campaign. “Our research tells us that people see dog fouling as, by far, the most unacceptable and dirtiest type of litter. “This campaign has been proven to make a difference and encourage the minority of dog owners who don’t pick up after their pets to do the right thing.”
The “We’re watching you” campaign launched at the end of last November. Local residents can report any dog fouling they see on the Everyday Telford App (available on iPhone, Android and Windows platforms). Dog owners local to Newport can claim their free dog bags from the Council’s First Point customer contact centre located in Newport Library.
