It’s a subject close to my heart – and I’m sure many other people feel the same – doggy doo on the streets. The amount of pet owners being fined for leaving poo on our streets dropped (excuse the pun) by 20% in the last year despite there still being many complaints.  The survey, carried out by the BBC, suggests that councils are failing to carry out the fines despite dog fouling still being a big issue.

Most dog owners of course are very responsible about this, but there are still the odd few who think it’s okay to leave this offensive mess on our streets.

According to the BBC survey, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council issued the most fixed penalties last year – 187 – and Liverpool City Council issued the most over five years – 972.

Areas that did not issue any fines for not bagging the stools include Sheffield, Wiltshire, East Lindsey, Walsall Metropolitan and Bexley Borough.

Sheffield City Council told the BBC: “We do appreciate that dog mess is an issue in Sheffield, as it is in every city. However, we need evidence if we are going to issue fines.”

Not only does dog mess create a very unpleasant and smelly environment, it also poses a risk to human health and of course is an absolute nightmare to clean off shoes when accidentally stepped in.

Of course, it’s not a pleasant job picking up your doggy’s dumps but there are plenty of pooper scoopers and dog poop bags available on the market these days to make it a bit easier.

So come on culprits, please start bagging the poop.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33064119