As the clocks have gone back, Litter Free are asking people to make sure their habits don’t slide back too. Anti-littering campaign, ‘Don’t Poop and Run’ will remind dog owners that no matter the time, size, or place, they should always responsibly bag and bin their dog poo. The campaign will also raise awareness that bagged dog poo can be disposed of in any public waste bin – not just in specific red, dog waste bins.
Sophie Colley from Litter Free Dorset said, “Stepping in dog poo definitely isn’t funny however we do hope that through humour we can attract people’s attention and change littering behaviour. The tagline ‘Don’t Poop and Run’ is a take on urban slang ‘Grab and Run’ and the hashtag ‘Bag it Bin it’ gives a simple call to action.”
Not only is dog poo a pain to clean off shoes, wheels and bare feet, it contains harmful bacteria, that if not bagged and binned, can cause illness and disease, affecting other dogs, grazing animals and people. Although rare, this can result in very serious consequences, causing blindness in people, and loss of unborn young in other dogs and livestock, often cattle.
Barry O’Mahoney of Bredy Vets in Bridport said, “Neosporosis is a parasitic disease and is the most frequently diagnosed cause of abortion in cattle in the UK. Cattle can be infected without showing clinical signs and infection can enter the herd either through environmental contamination from dog poo or through the purchase of infected animals. If your dog does a poo on grazing land (even if no cattle are grazing on it at the time), please remove and dispose of it.”
Water quality is also impacted by the bacteria found in dog poo, causing river and sea users, such as swimmers, paddle boarders and kayakers to become very ill after being exposed to the bacteria. Tossed dog poo bags do not only contribute to plastic pollution, but the bags can also be mistaken as food by animals and livestock, causing choking, blockages and ultimately death.
The Litter Free teams have launched a social media campaign that will highlight the reasons why dog poo always needs to be bagged and binned. Alongside the joint social media campaign, Litter Free Dorset have installed signs at dog poo hotspots in Dorchester and Weymouth to reduce incidents of dog fouling.
In the longer term, the teams aim to support local action by providing resources and guidance to community groups. Plans are underway to create a new group called Jurassic Bark, formed by members of the PoooPin community group that have been meeting in the Burton Bradstock area for over 9 years. The group plan to build a community of dog owners and organise meet ups, clean ups and continue to work together for poo-free fields, paths, and beaches in Dorset.
