Nottingham has one of the highest amount of reported dog poo incidents in England, Scotland and Wales. That's according to data from pet insurance company Petplan, which submitted 101 freedom of information requests to councils across the three countries.
70 responded, including Nottingham City Council, who confirmed in 2021 that 1,200 incidents had been recorded - 149 more than Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, which was in second. Nottingham also had the highest rate per 100,000 households, with 857; 15 more than Norwich City Council in second place.
Incidents reported can include those reported by members of the public, where a council officer has spotted it, and other incidents such as overflowing dog poo bins. According to Petplan, there was a nationwide 8.3 percent increase in incidents from 2020 to 2021, and dogs produce more than 3,000 tonnes of poo across the UK every day and, when left on the ground, can pose serious risks to humans, other dogs, wildlife and the environment.
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John Read, founder of anti-littering campaign Clean Up Britain, said: "Councils have the ability to fine people up to £1,000 for dog fouling, and they should use that as often as they can to penalise dog owners who are not doing the right thing in clearing up their dog’s mess. They could issue fines to more people and make an example of dog fouling offenders, and publicise it so people know there’s a realistic chance of being caught.
"We all need to behave responsibly and sensibly, and with respect to each other and the environment. Dog fouling is a bit like littering in that it is a crime against society.
"The rise in incidents may have had something to do with the number of people who got new pets in the pandemic but weren't necessarily used to having pets. Unfortunately, you do see it now with cats and dogs - people suddenly realise that pets need to be looked after properly and that they aren't playthings."
Nottingham City Council has offered insight into why the authority's area is top of the pile.
Labour councillor Sally Longford, portfolio holder for environment, energy and waste who represents Lenton and Wollaton West, said: "We know that dog fouling is one of the priority issues that local people want to see tackled and we have been taking action to do that. While it's likely lockdown has played a part in higher figures last year, these statistics show that local residents are actively engaged in reporting incidents, because we have made it as easy as possible to raise issues like dog fouling, anti-social behaviour and graffiti.
"This means that problems like dog fouling are dealt with quickly and effectively by our cleansing teams, keeping our streets clean. We have run awareness campaigns to alert people to the risk of being fined for dog owners not carrying dog poo bags or failing to clean up after their pet, as well as promoting the easy option of reporting incidents online.
"More than 87 percent of the reports in 2021 were online, showing that this message is getting through. We need the thoughtless minority of dog owners who don’t clean up after their dogs to take more responsibility and we plan further action to drive a change in behaviours.
"We encourage people to report incidents online."
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