Does the Uk Have to to many dogs?

[Lavenderflower]

I was out earlier. I was about to put some rubbish in the public bin but there I noticed it was filled to the brim with dog poo bags. I have noticed now days there seems to be dogs mess every where. It seems there are more dogs about since covid. I am curious if this can pose health risk for public.

There are certainly more dogs about since Covid, lots won’t pick up after their pet, unfortunately. But what do you propose is done about the increase in dogs?! Forced surrender?

I don't think there are too many dogs but there are not enough responsible owners.

A big with dog poo bags in is not a threat to the nation's health though.

Well our local council has removed 25% of bins whilst hundreds of new houses have been built. No bins at all on these new estates despite owners paying an annual service charge and council tax. This means the remaining bins get full more quickly but the bins are not emptied more frequently. Bins at bus stops which must stink for waiting passengers.
25% cut in ‘on the ground staff’ but the highly paid managerial staff have no cuts.
It’s not just more dogs in my area, that is only one factor.
I have 2 dogs and always pick up.

Covid saw an exponential rise in dog ownership and I’d bet that many of those who bought them wouldn’t have done so if not for the pandemic.

Unfortunately, with few restrictions on dog ownership, people who bought them on a whim, without really understanding the commitment it requires, are probably fed up with them now and leave them to their own devices often. Of course, many are responsible dog owners, but some can’t be bothered.

There are too many in your opinion.

Significant numbers of people disagree with you.

Perhaps rather than fewer dogs, we need better waste collection procedures!

How can you possibly have too many dogs?

The issue is we have too many people. Dogs are owned by people. The fewer people we have the fewer dogs we’ll have.

You are barking up the wrong tree. 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

Far too many it's gross
The piss everywhere is the worst - can't help imagining all the piss particles filling up the houses of anyone who doesn't have a shoes off at door policy

Yes lots of irresponsible owners since covid or people who just want to pose on the gram. Can’t be arsed to train their dogs or dump them when they arent cute anymore.

No. Far too many cats though

Yes, dog ownership went up during covid (as people who were probably going to get dogs at some point anyhow brought forward plans) and those dogs will be about 4yo now, so there's going to be a "bulge" around for the next 8-12 years.

I think levels of dog acquisition have been back to normal for some time now, and puppy prices are (largely) back to what they were.

I'm glad you're in a place where the bins are used.

You need to get on to the landowner about the bins as they currently are being insufficient for the job. Regardless of whether the excess is litter, other human detritus or dog poo, the bin needs to be bigger or to be emptied more frequently.

There are far too many people imo, and too many of those people see fit to try and pet my dogs. No one seems to understand anymore to not touch dogs who don't know you, I understood this as a small child

Growing up in the 80s there was far more dog mess around in my experience, despite there probably being less dogs overall.

Exactly. We should get rid of the people who don’t have dogs to free up space and resources for dog owners and their hounds. Simples.

Or we could stop whinging about dogs.

What health risk exactly are you concerned about? I can think of lots of mental and physical health benefits that humans get from having pet dogs, such lower blood pressure and less depression and anxiety.

Yes too many dogs. They have a huge carbon footprint and you’re right that parks covered in dog sh*t are a health hazard.

As a starting point to deal with this issue, I’d cull the dogs and cats in shelters and use them for animal feed. If it’s a good enough end for pig, cows etc. then it’s good enough for our pet animals.

Yes, far too many. It’s becoming ridiculous and ruins every open space, woods, nice parkland thanks to bloody dogs everywhere that you have to navigate around.

I went out for a run at 6:50 this morning down a pavement outside my house, still dark and 2 women were walking towards me with dogs. I couldn’t see them until I was literally on top of them, one of the owners was on the right hand side of the pavement and her dog on an extendable lead was on the far left in the hedges. I actually had to lift her extendable lead and go under to get away. Talk about entitled!

I think the problem here is the council not doing their job and emptying the bins, rather than the number of dogs.

I could list several ‘public maintenance’ setvices that the council have seemingly decided they aren’t doing any more.

No. 1 being clearing the bloody drains, meaning flooding roads whenever it rains!

Rains masses in this country, so it will be washed away.

Fair enough. They could be given a choice. Stop whinging about dogs or get eliminated themselves.

Our local council are very open to calls for new bins and also to requests to look at the frequency of emptying them, you could try contacting them?

That is irrational, I think you need help 🤷‍♀️

If I let my baby pee and poo all over the place and just roughly picked up the poo but left the pee splashed all over the pavement/walls/bins etc. there would be outrage. Why is it ok for dogs to do it?

Yes!