Dog fouling awareness campaign is launched

THE Lord Mayor of Dublin Tom Brabazon has launched Dublin City Council’s new dog fouling awareness campaign: ‘Dog Poo, It’s Everybody’s Business’.

The aim of this campaign is to highlight the major issue of dog waste in our public parks and open spaces and to encourage dog owners and dog walkers to pick up after their dog, as dog waste affects the whole community.

Recent research carried out by Behaviour & Attitudes for Dogs Trust revealed that 96 per cent of dog owners claimed they do pick up after their dog.

Yet 57 per cent of people surveyed indicated that there is a big problem with dog fouling in their area.

Seven in 10 people claimed to have walked in dog poo on the street; 51 per cent came across dog poo in their local park; 31 per cent rolled a buggy through dog poo; 33 per cent rolled a bicycle through it; and 11 per cent rolled their wheelchair through it.

 Speaking ahead of the launch of the campaign, the Lord Mayor said the issue of dog waste has now become a major problem in our public parks and open spaces in the city.

"There are some people in our community who are more at risk of coming into contact with dog waste and putting their health in danger, such as wheelchair users, visually impaired people, babies and toddlers, as well as people who play outdoor sports,” Cllr Brabazon said.

"Whether you own a dog or not, dog waste in public spaces affects everyone.”