Poster campaign launched to combat rise in dog fouling

People are being urged to report dog walkers who fail to clean up behind their animals to the council’s environmental health department.

It follows a rise of 60 per cent in dog fouling in Shetland reported by neighbourhood support workers compared with the summer months.

Environmental health has launched a new poster campaign to draw attention to the fact that dog fouling is completely unacceptable, whether it happens during the day or after dark.

Staff point out that it is an offence to not clean up after your dog in a public place. This offence carries a fixed penalty fine of £40, going up to £60 if not paid within 28 days.

Executive manager for environmental health and trading standards Maggie Dunne said: “The majority of dog owners do pick up after their dogs. But, there is a selfish minority who are leaving our public areas filthy. We need you to help us target these owners and make our pro-active patrols more effective.

“If you see someone letting their dog foul please contact the environmental health department on (01595) 744801 with the person’s name, a description of the dog and the time and place that it happened. We will then make contact with the owner to remind them to clean up after their dog and target patrols in the area so we can catch them and issue a fine if they still aren’t clearing up.”