Dog fouling is unpleasant and can be a health hazard. Dog owners have a legal duty to clean up every time their dog fouls in a public place.
What we provide
There are over 650 litter bins provided by the council. These can be used to dispose of both litter and bagged dog waste and a number of specialist dog waste bins are provided by town and parish councils.
The council’s street cleansing contractor will remove animal fouling during the course of their work and on request. The service applies to all public areas that are managed by the council.
Witnessing dog fouling
The Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 makes it an offence for any person in control of a dog not to remove dog faeces after fouling on designated public areas. A fixed penalty notice can be issued to offenders and they can be fined up to £1,000 by the magistrates' courts if this is not paid.
Action can only be taken if the offence is seen and someone is prepared to act as a witness.
If you fill in a witness statement you may be required to give evidence in court to support your statement if the fixed penalty is not paid.