Dog fouling, bins & dogs off leads
Dog fouling
Tackling dog fouling is very important because it is one of the biggest concerns for residents.
We currently have a Dog Control Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in place to tackle dog fouling and problematic dog behaviour across the borough.
The PSPO requires dog owners or the person in charge of a dog to have with them the appropriate means to pick up dog faeces deposited by that dog, and to remove faeces from any land which open to the air and which has public have access.
If you spot dog fouling in a public place or spot someone not cleaning up after their dog, please report it to us. Reporting dog fouling online is helpful for us to be able to target our patrols. Please provide times of day and who might be allowing their dog to foul, if known. All reports of dog fouling are treated confidentially.
Dog fouling penalty charges
Non-compliance with the requirement of this public space protection order is an offence, offenders can be issued with a fixed penalty notice for £100, payable within 14 days of the notice being issued. Failure to pay can lead to prosecution and a penalty on conviction of up to £1,000
We carry out regular patrols of dog fouling hotspots and will issue fixed penalty notices to anyone caught committing an offence.
Cleaning up after your dog
We appreciate the majority of owners are responsible, but we want all dog walkers to be responsible and clear up any dog fouling. When walking your dog:
- Be prepared and take enough bags with you, clean up after your dog.
- Put the waste in a dog bin, an ordinary litter bin or take it home with you.
- We provide over 1,200 bins where you can dispose of bagged dog waste.
Dog fouling on private land
We do not have a duty to remove dog faeces from private land. Should a dog foul on private land it is the landowner's responsibility to remove the faeces, landowners can seek civil actions at their own discretion. We cannot take action against cats or horses defecating on public or private land.
Dogs off leads
Dogs should always be kept on leads near roads and any associated paths and grass verges and footways, car parks and nature reserves.
You may also be asked by one of our officers to put a dog on a lead in other places if we think a dog is, or may be about to cause a nuisance or annoyance to another person or disturb an animal or bird.
Issues with dog litter bins
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