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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think the dog mess problem is getting much worse since Covid?

169 replies

sadpapercourtesan · 05/02/2021 15:28

It's actually spoiling most of my longer walks, now. Sad It's so disgusting, especially when it's left right in the middle of a pavement so people have walked through it already and made it virtually impossible to avoid.

In the interest of not drip-feeding, I have ASD and I know I am a bit of a loon about disgusting things/poo/bad smells. I avoid the local park in high summer because the stench walking past the dog bins makes me swoon.

Has anyone else noticed the dog mess being much more of a problem in recent months? What can be done about it? I know it's on me to "get over it" and not let it stop me from going for long walks, but I honestly find it so difficult when there's shit every 50 metres or so and even though I'm ridiculously hypervigilant, DH and the kids aren't.

OP posts:
1Morewineplease · 05/02/2021 17:42

The problem has become so much worse with all the lockdown dogs in my area. I don't understand why. It infuriates me as dog poo bags are as cheap as chips and there are bins along the walk that I take with my dog.

JewelTheft · 05/02/2021 17:42

Yes, definitely increased a lot here, I walk everywhere generally (even before lockdowns) and it's really noticeable

megletthesecond · 05/02/2021 17:44

Yanbu. I've emailed the council three times about this. Two of them was reporting the same neighbour who lets his dogs poo anywhere.
I will lose my rag one day.

Same4Walls · 05/02/2021 17:45

I rarely see dogs- either in my estate or local town. A few locally, but they always pick up. Honestly 6 or 7 years since I have ever seen dog poo in a public area.

I honesty cannot imagine a place where you've not seen dog poo in alnost a decade!! Please tell me where this magical utopia is. I'm so sick of washing shit off my pram wheels it was noticeable here before covid but I swear i cannot go more than 3 streets now without seeing at least one pile of shite!

CharlotteRose90 · 05/02/2021 17:46

I haven’t noticed it on any pavements near me but it’s got worse in grassy areas and parks. especially during the snow times people clearly didn’t look after their dog

evouk · 05/02/2021 17:47

I follow many local to me village Facebook pages and there's very often posts on them about dog muck issues

The theory is that due to lockdown a lot of people are going out walking their dog that would not normally do so

It's revolting and there's been a couple of occasions where I've gone through some with the pushchair then we've had to hose down the wheels. In the dark you can't see it

Mochudubh · 05/02/2021 17:47

It may have been around the time if the foot and mouth that my local paper had an anti-fouling campaign where they gave out little flags to plant in poos to draw attention to the problem.

SwanShaped · 05/02/2021 17:48

So so much worse recently. All up the pavement, the parks and right outside the school gates. Always outside the school gates.

KellyMarieTunstall2 · 05/02/2021 17:51

YES! I notice this more and more. The grass verges are full, it's in the middle of the pavement, the park grassy areas are mostly poo. It's disgusting. What is wrong with people?? I have 2 dogs and I'm not enjoying walking them as it's truly disgusting.

Imissthegym · 05/02/2021 17:53

Always been a problem by me but it’s definitely gotten worse recently. We live by a huge field which would have been amazing for the kids to play in when it snowed. They couldn’t though as they would have needed up covered in dog shit.

It’s absolutely disgusting, selfish and lazy. My brother has to wear glasses after an awful eye infection caused by dog mess when he was a toddler. It’s not just messy, it’s dangerous.

I’ve confronted several people by me when I’ve seen them ignore their dogs mess. I know it does occasionally happen without them seeing. They either give a sheepish “I haven’t got a bag” so I give them one or they shout abuse at me.

I can’t see this improving unless some serious fining begins to take place. We live in a society of very selfish people unfortunately.

StoneofDestiny · 05/02/2021 18:33

Loads of postings on various sites about dog crap being left uncollected by dog owners. No excuse for it. Your dog, your responsibility.

Mega fines need introduced and a hot line for reporting the owners anonymously if they have photo evidence.

aSofaNearYou · 05/02/2021 18:36

I've noticed it too OP, I'm guessing it's the increase in walks.

Notthemessiah · 05/02/2021 19:13

I was going to suggest an extra charge on dog food to pay for cleaning the streets, but then as usual that would just penalise the decent dog owners while giving the feckless fuckwit ones the justification they want to not pick it up at all.

Not sure what the answer is to be honest. Fine them loads sure, but when is there ever anyone around to catch them?

HunterAngel · 05/02/2021 19:47

I’ve always noticed the dog mess gets worse in the winter months. There’s a lot of lazy owners around my way who don’t pick up after their dog when the dark means people can’t see them leave a mess. When I had my dog I always carried a torch so I could see to clean up after her.

FunnyInjury · 05/02/2021 19:54

Its grim 🤢 ds mate almost face planted into a pile the other day while they were training on an actual pitch. So disgusting. The owners, not the dogs.

westendgirl780 · 05/02/2021 19:57

Much much worse around here. Very hard work with kids

IdrisElbow · 05/02/2021 20:06

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

MamaTookMyEyebrows · 05/02/2021 20:19

Yeah I’m obsessed with dog poo, according to my six year old. It’s probably a fair observation. It’s always been an issue where we live but it’s much worse now. I’m always harping on about it when we are out walking.

My uncle though 😂 recently he had an issue with a new neighbour letting his dog poo at the bottom of his driveway without cleaning it up. He politely spoke to the neighbour who basically made all the right noises but the problem continued. Uncle eventually saw red and put the poo onto a piece of laminate and catapulted it across the fence into neighbour’s garden. He was aiming for the grass (so he says) but hit the living room window instead 🙈😂

Morana23 · 05/02/2021 20:23

I have noticed this where I live, it disgusts me. It's definitely got worse since lockdown, not so much in the woods we go to but more around pavements where we live/ local parks etc. Several times I've stepped onto the street from my garden to see a great big pile of shit on the path, it pisses me off cos I have to pick it up or my kids are guaranteed to step in it on the way to my car. It just infuriates me that I always pick up after my own dog, and I now also have to pick up after others Angry

YANBU.

LegoPirateMonkey · 05/02/2021 20:31

Tons round here (despite us having a Tory MP, I have no idea why that would make a difference?) and loads of it is bagged and left on the pavement. It’s so inexplicable to me - if you’ve bagged it, why not take it away as well? If you had a pram or wheelchair, the wheels would constantly be covered in shit. It’s awful. I go to the dog free park as all our other parks are riddled with dog crap but there is a particular type of dog owner who don’t think rules apply to them so they take their dogs to it anyway and it’s no better really. There are lots of fancy dogs round here and owners who are prepared to spend a couple of grand buying them but won’t lower themselves to clear up after them. I get quite medieval in my rage and despite being totally opposed to capital punishment, I think I’d genuinely support the return of stocks for these owners...and I’d go and throw the bagged up dog crap they’ve left to burst all over the pavements at them. I’m not proud of this.

MarleyTheDog · 05/02/2021 20:40

I always pick up after my dog. I can't understand why some dog owners don't? It isn't difficult! TBH I haven't noticed dog poo around the area where I live, but the local cycle track is disgusting! I can't wait for the day when we are allowed to drive to the local woods to walk. To the person who feeds their dog a diet that consists of bright orange ingredients..... You are a fucking disgrace! Your dog shits right in the middle of a public footpath every morning and every evening. PICK IT UP FFS! IF YOU CAN AFFORD A DOG YOU CAN AFFORD A PACK OF POO BAGS! If not, there are plenty of dog owners who will gladly give you some! Just ask you skank!! And stop giving All dog owners a bad name! 😡

pigsDOfly · 05/02/2021 20:46

I've always noticed the dog mess gets worse in the winter months.

I was coming on to say exactly that.

In the approximately 9.5 years that I've had my dog I've noticed the same thing every single year.

I have always, without fail, picked up my dog's mess. It makes me very angry the way so many dog owners allow their dogs to foul everywhere and take no responsibility for clearing it up.

I do however, think that it's got worse over the years, or maybe I'm just noticing it more.

Whatever, it's bloody disgusting and all the time no fines are issue for dog fouling, a certain type of person will continue to leave it where their dog deposits it.

I live in a area where the houses have no fences. You see dog's mess all over people's front gardens. Every time I mow the grass in my front garden I have to pick up at least one piece of dog's mess. The last time I cut my grass before winter I counted five different dog poos.

ivegotaheadacheneedabaguette · 05/02/2021 21:06

I don't understand why we can't just have dog walking areas, and dog free areas? Fed-up of there being dog shit all over the park when I want to take my children there. Why not just have a dog walking field, then they can all tread in each other's shite?

Floralnomad · 05/02/2021 22:15

@ivegotaheadacheneedabaguette

I don't understand why we can't just have dog walking areas, and dog free areas? Fed-up of there being dog shit all over the park when I want to take my children there. Why not just have a dog walking field, then they can all tread in each other's shite?
Why do you think responsible dog owners who pick up after their dogs are any less cross than you are , I don’t particularly want my dog running in dog shit any more than you want to walk in it .
Mollymalone123 · 05/02/2021 22:36

Def 10 x worse since lockdown. I even started to pick up other people’s mess at one point as got done fed up with it. Lots of people on local FB complaining about it. The worst was a local farmer allowed people to exercise through his fields and people were letting their dogs poo there too. It’s a field that has livestock in it-it’s imperative it doesn’t have dog poo or litter in it and still people let their dogs do it.