Dog fouling

We welcome responsible dog owners within the borough. Dogs and their walkers are some of our most regular visitors.

However, a small minority of dog owners do not take their responsibilities seriously. This means that some dog mess is not cleared up and a small number of dogs roam out of control. This annoys many people and can threaten wildlife. Our residents have told us that this is a real issue for them.

Dog fouling is:

• Illegal on public land
• A threat to wildlife
• A health risk, particularly to young children, and can lead to serious illnesses such as Toxocariasis

Report dog fouling

You can report dog fouling on a public street or in a park.

• Report dog fouling on a street
• Report dog fouling in a park or open space

Penalties

It is illegal to allow any dog you are in control of to foul on footpaths or any other land open to the public.

All our parks and open spaces are controlled by Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs). These orders impose various restrictions to dog control and other activities in our parks and open spaces.

Failure to clean up after a dog you are in control of will lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice of £80, or prosecution, which may lead to a fine of £1,000 plus costs.

It is not an acceptable defence to claim ignorance of the dog's actions or that you did not carry means to dispose of the fouling at the time.

Failure to give an authorised officer your name and address on request in relation to dog fouling is an offence which may lead to a further fine of £1,000 plus costs.

Enforcement

We are only allowed to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice for dog fouling if one of our officers witnesses the offence themselves.

Street Scene Enforcement Officers regularly distribute responsible dog ownership leaflets whilst patrolling the borough, and carry out targeted enforcement operations in areas affected by a dog fouling problem.

Your responsibilities

As a responsible dog owner you should:

• Carry disposable bags to ensure you can clean up after your dog
• Keep your dog under control at all times
• Keep your dog out of dog restricted areas, and do not allow the dog out alone

You can report irresponsible dog owners to our Street Scene Enforcement Team.

You can promote responsible dog ownership by distributing our responsible dog ownership leaflet (pdf, 216 KB) - these are also available at our receptions and libraries.