Dog fouling

Contents

1. Report dog fouling
2. What the Council is doing
3. How we deal with incidents
4. More information

Dog fouling is a big concern, not just because of the mess it causes, but because it can also be a health risk.

What the Council is doing

The Council is committed to raising awareness about the issue of dog fouling and will respond reactively and pro-actively to reported incidents.

The Council is currently:

• installing bins where they haven't been provided previously- but, did you know you can use any public bin to dispose of your bagged dog waste?
• utilising Council and private CCTV / mobile phone material - to identify irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up after their dogs
• training officers on the street - Council officers are being trained to issue Fixed Penalty Notices, talk to people, encourage responsible dog ownership and hand out poop-scoop bags.

How we deal with incidents

The Borough of South Tyneside is covered by a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which prohibits the fouling of land by dogs.

Allowing a dog that you own (or are in control of) to foul public land without picking it up immediately, is an offence that attracts a fixed penalty. A number of Council officers can enforce the Public Space Protection Order.

If you have photographic, CCTV or video evidence of a dog fouling incident, you can report it to the Environmental Health Team by calling 0191 427 7000 or emailing environmental.healthmailbox@southtyneside.gov.uk.

For more information about the Public Space Protection Order see Dog control, dog fouling and penalties.

More information

• Around 100 cases of toxocariasis are diagnosed each year in the UK
• Local authorities in the UK receive approximately 226,000 complaints about dog fouling every year
• The cost to British taxpayers of clearing up after dogs is around £2.3 million per year
• It is an offence for anyone in charge of a dog on public land to fail to remove dog faeces deposited by that dog