Dog owners urged to clean up

10 July 2012

A campaign urging dog owners to clean up after their pets was launched on Thursday 4 July by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Council officers handed out dog pooh bags and spoke to dog owners reminding them to dispose of their dogs' mess responsibly. It is not enough to simply bag the mess and leave it on the highway - it should then be placed in bins or owners can bag it and take it home with them. More than 50 bright coloured markers were left for 48 hours in Cathcart Road, The Boltons and Westfield Park to highlight the amount of dog mess left.

New signs have gone up across the borough, with the key message `Good dog owners clean up. Bad dog owners don't! Bag it and bin it'

Dog fouling is an issue that causes residents concern. Not only is it unpleasant, and messy but it carries harmful bacteria that can cause infections and toxocariasis, which can lead to blindness. Failure to clean up dog waste carries an £80 fine and a maximum penalty of £2,500 if the case goes to court and results in a conviction.

Councillor Nick Paget-Brown, Deputy Leader of the Council, who attended the launch event and spoke to residents about the campaign and how the Council is tackling the problem through targeted enforcement work, said:

"Dog owners and walkers should not be leaving their dogs' waste for others to deal with, it is antisocial and unpleasant.

"Highlighting the problem with bright markers will hopefully bring home the message. There is no dog pooh fairy; it is up to owners and dog walkers to clean up after their dogs and not to leave bags on the pavement which is unpleasant for everyone."