So much dog poo - what can be done?

[AntiDogPooBrigade]

Fines aren't working. Dog wardens are nowhere to be seen. Increase in dogs has meant a huge increase in the amount of poo on our pavements and in our parks. I am beyond fed up of it.

We need to do something. But what?

And before the dog people pile on saying it's only the minority, it's only a few, they've never seen dog poo on the pavement, I attach EIGHT photos from this morning alone, that I took on a small stretch of road where my DC go to school. I have reported this street to the council, as it is prolific here, and they cleaned it on Friday. So all this poo is fresh from sometime after Friday afternoon, to now. And it is not just one dog.

Not as big a problem as the photos you have here OP where we are, but still a big issue.
You say fines aren't working. This is because people are not being fined! The local councils really need to be active on this front to teach people there are real consequences. Minimum £200 fine.
It really is disgusting.
And a health hazard.

Drives me mad as a dog owner!

It's sadly the social norm in UK.

Last year we were in a hotel in Barcelona with our dog. I went out with him first thing in the morning so he could stretch his legs and do his business.

Unfortunately he peed against a plant pot near our hotel.
Another Spanish early dog walker started literally screaming at me about how that's not acceptable here!
Luckily I speak enough Spanish to understand his irritation.
He told me that I must carry a bottle of water with me at all times so I could wash it away, but to teach my dog some manners!

I was, to say the least, mortified and apologised profusely.

Since then I've been hyper aware of my dog even peeing where he shouldn't, not easy but we're getting there!

But he had a point, didn't see any poops on the street there or in other Spanish towns.

I've been known to miscalculate the amount of bags I have in my pocket and been left lacking.
In those situations I've waited for another walker to ask for a bag.

So it's really not all dog owners.

We still tread in shit too!

I live in a very nice, affluent area, right by a big royal park. Rank owners abound though.

I think the Spaniards have it right about the pee too - I think owners should wash it away with a bottle of water, ideally with some kind of bleach or whatnot too. I have seen dogs piss on:
traffic cones (that a worker will have to collect later)
plants on a display to be sold at Asda
plants for sale outside Aldi
a tent (the day everyone was packing up after a festival)
a kids' bike tied up against some railings
a kids' bag that was being used as a goalpost for a game on the beach

and more!

I don't think we should view it as acceptable to let dogs piss in the street either, even the scent-marking kind - just pull your dog away when it starts to cock its leg. I don't want to be walking through streets of piss either. I so often see little puddles of yellow by lamposts, gates and trees, and most people think this is just part and parcel of living in dog culture.

OP I agree wholeheartedly.
Until it was pointed out to me o hadn't realised how prevalent it is.
Luckily our dog is still young so a little tug on his lead is enough to discourage him.

Fair enough if he's really caught short, but majority of time it's just marking.

Actually think this is as much of an issue as pooping

More bins isn’t the answer at more cost to empty and even higher council tax. It should be mandatory to bag and take your own dog crap home.

With respect to other countries, some of it is population density, some of it is down to the types of places visited. I was laughed at when visiting relatives in another EU country for picking up in the middle of nowhere. They said there was no need and a waste of plastic. And I've always seen far more dog poo in Paris than London

It's really gross to walk through pee, it IS an issue, but afaik, you can't go blind from dog pee, but you can from dog poo. The issue with all the photos I posted is ESPECIALLY bad because it is on the road my child's school is on, so hundreds of children rushing to school, it is more than likely it will be trodden in, walked on to school premises, and spread around on the classroom or assembly-room floors, where they will then sit/put their hands/rub their eyes.

You'd be astonished at how much human poo is around too 🤢

I’m a dog owner and I completely agree with this.

I am starting to think that it should be illegal to let a dog poo outside of your own property. IF you are caught short outside, you have to call the dog poo agency and they come out to wash it away, and the owner pays. No way should this be at cost to the rest of us. But yeah - primarily dogs should be toileted in their own gardens, and we should not think it normal or acceptable to let them do it on pavements and in our parks.

Worst walk ever when our dog was a small pup, he rolled in human poop.

Definitely 100 times worse than the odd rolling in fox poo!!

Still can't comprehend it

Why would you think that dog owners don't care about this? As I've said around 100 times before, it's much worse for us because our dogs are drawn to the poo even if it's to the sides of paths. I have to keep watch all the time so my dog doesn't tread in it. There's one walk that I won't go on now because there's so much poo it's very difficult to avoid. I do think a lot of the poo is from the same dogs who are taken on the same route every day.

Dogs eat cat poo so that's a big problem too.

Why would you think that dog owners don't care about this?

I’m sure they do, but just out of interest are there any dog owners on this thread that bag and take their own mess home?

Illegal for a dog to go to the toilet? Calling a poo agency to clean it up? Now you’re sounding batshit.
Dog owners should pick up. Always. I do. As do other decent owners. The issue is far too many irresponsible dog owners. Proper licence. Control breeding and who buys dogs.

I'm not sure how you think we can stop dogs pooing on a walk though. You've obviously never had a dog but their digestive system is just like a conveyor belt that mostly only operates while they're walking.

I can only imagine someone was desperate and caught short - most normal people don't poo outside, unless they have a bout of illness or can't control their bowels - and I am sure they were mortified. It's not seen as acceptable for us to poo outside, and rightly so. I just wish it was the same for dogs.

I live in a very doggy and built up area and I have to say I see it very rarely, so it must be area dependent. It’s awful though.

I do think cat poo is even more of a problem but you’re far more likely to see it in people’s gardens (eg ours 🤨) than on pavements and footpaths. And people let their cats roam so at least think they’re not responsible for picking up their poo. But for some reason humans aren’t expected to pick up their roaming cat’s poo like they are their dog’s.

But they aren't. Dog owners are not picking up. Some might, too many aren't. So something needs to be done. Not illegal to go to the toilet - illegal to shit in public. Have your dog shit on your own path only.

Yes, there are some walks we go on where there are no bins. We have a sealable tub in the car especially for this purpose. Although as a rule, they go in the garden first thing in the morning and after dinner. They definitely wouldn't go on the pavement or any hard surface (not through any training, just preference)

That is shocking. I feel very lucky that I live somewhere that this doesn’t happen. We live in a village that’s really popular with dog walkers. People drive here to walk their dogs. I honestly have never seen dog shit on the footpaths. In the adjacent walking areas, I do see lots of people ’sticking sand flicking’ into the undergrowth. I don’t do this, I always bag it up and take it home, but I think it’s better than nothing.

Some of the suggestions on here though, are frankly, nuts.

Then we have a problem. And we need a solution. Perhaps licences should pay for dog parks, and you can all walk and toilet your dogs there. It should not be for the rest of us to walk in, or run pram wheels through, or scooter wheels.

We just need fewer dogs. Regulate the breeders and make spaying/neutering compulsory for pets. Dog shit everywhere here, even on the path to the school gates. Bins all over the place, so that's not why. If dog owners can't behave, fewer of them is the only solution.

I always pick up poo and we have loads of bins where I walk but I put it in my own bin if I arrive home with it and if I'm in the car I take it with me. I have no idea why someone would hang a poo bag on a bush...it's absolutely disgusting. I used to bury poo (properly using my wellie) if I was in a suitable remote spot because I think that's better for the environment than poo in a plastic bag in landfill.

Not sure why I'm seeking approval from you!! Just defending fellow dog walkers.