A new approach to drive down dog fouling is being trialled by Telford & Wrekin Council in a bid to tackle the rising problem.
Some 823 incidents were reported and cleared by the council in 2022/23, rising to 1,119 this year representing an increase of 36%.
The higher reporting figures may be attributed to the council’s community action teams operating in most urban areas, as they proactively report incidents they find along with the public’s, and clear away within four hours if on the high street or outside a school.
The figures coincide with higher pet ownership which reached an unprecedented high of 62 percent in 2022 also contributing to the rise.
In areas where CAT teams do not operate, figures remain largely unchanged. 2022/23 saw 329 incidents reported and cleared and 330 in 2023/24 – representing an increase of less than 1%.
As well as the immediate response to clearing, a longer-term campaign to encourage people to view the outdoors as an extension of their home and keep areas clean will be launched this summer.
Activities will include patrols of hotspot areas, issuing on the spot fines of £100, using stencils as reminders and checking CCTV for evidence. School pupils will also be asked to get involved to develop messaging for offenders.
Councillor Richard Overton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways, Housing & Enforcement said: “Dog fouling incidents continue to rise and it’s time people took responsibility for their pets.
“The small proportion who do not clear up, must realise that leaving their pet’s poo behind in parks and outside school gates is as bad as leaving it lying around in their own home? These are the places we all spend our lives in – you wouldn’t leave it in your hallway or on your kitchen table so why anywhere else?
Councillor Overton added: “Asking people to report someone who allows their dog to foul does not work. People are too uncomfortable as it can involve police statements, it just not something anyone wants to get involved with.”
Dog fouling can be reported using the MyTelford app or if residents have evidence of offenders they would like to share with the council, please call the Telford & Wrekin Watch confidential hotline on 01952 388 800.
This work is part of Telford & Wrekin Council’s ‘20 pledges in 20 weeks’ campaign which will see the local authority deliver 20 actions on the things that matter most to local people during the first 20 weeks following Cllr Lee’s Carter’s appointment as Leader on 18 July. The pledges reinforce the council’s ongoing commitment to protect, care and invest to create a better borough.
