Dog owners encouraged to clean up after their pets (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)

Dog owners encouraged to clean up after their pets

12:30pm Friday 9th November 2012 in Local

Dog mess campaign: Councillor Michael Webb is supporting an anti dog mess campaign. Pictured with his dogs Pearl and Mylo.

A TOWN campaign encouraging dog owners to clean up after their pets has been relaunched.

The Mucky Pup Clean it up! anti dog mess campaign aims to raise awareness of the problems caused by inconsiderate dog owners that fail to clean up after their pets.

Last year’s campaign drove down dog fouling by up to 30 per cent, and also featured on a BBC documentary that led to enquires from the National Trust and other local authorities.

Anti-littering staff from Bromsgrove District Council will be drawing attention to the extent of the dog mess problem by spraying it with fluorescent washable paint.

The mess is cleaned up shortly afterwards, but the council hope the paint will encourage dog owners to clean up after their pets and put it in one of 500 dog bins across Bromsgrove or in normal litter bins that can also be used.

Bromsgrove District Councillor Michael Webb, responsible for environmental services, said: “We don’t want dog mess on our streets and in our parks.

“Council staff clean up loads of it but it’s just not possible to be everywhere all of the time.

“It’s a sore point for me as both dog owner and district councillor. There are very few excuses for leaving smelly and dangerous waste in public for people to tread in.”

The Mucky Pup? Clean it up! team will be in the district in the next few months, and distinctive campaign artwork is also being put on display including on refuse vehicles.

To report issues of dog fouling call the council’s Customer Service Centre on 01527 881288 or see bromsgrove.gov.uk.