Thornbury residents blast dog owners for not clearing up after their dogs

Dog fouling happens everywhere and is certainly not limited to Thornbury or the surrounding areas; in fact local's councils and groups across the country are actively trying to encourage dog owners to tidy up after their dogs. 

Being a parent myself there is nothing more annoying than having to clean dog mess of my children's shoes after a trip to the park, or a walk to the shops or even during the walk to school. Local councils have actively

promoted the penalties involved if a dog owner fails to clean up after their dogs yet for some reason some dog owners still fail to do this.  

While the majority of dog owners are responsible and pick up after their dog, a careless few are still giving dogs a bad name. Dogs Trust are working hard to ensure a clean and safe environment for all the community-

picking up after your dog is so simple and makes such a difference to where you live.

Each year thousands of complaints are received by local authorities about dog mess. In fact, MPs in Britain receive more complaints about dog fouling than any other issue!

Local resident Clare Gibbs said "I take my children to the Mundys most Sundays during the summer and the amount of dog owners that I see not cleaning up after their dog is unbelievable, dog mess seems to get everywhere but it's not just the mess it is also the harm it can cause" 

Lynn Brooks from Alveston said "we have this problem in Alveston as well, I cant remember the last time I seen a dog warden"

Martin Moore local resident and dog walker said "When people talk about dog mess they are talking about a very small number of dog owners, what about cat owners? I think us dog owners are treated unfairly most parks no longer allow dogs!"

Mr Moore continued saying "I understand that some people do not clean up but about 99% do and it's the 99% that should be praised for what they do"

The Dogs Trust charity states that the general understanding of the rare Toxocara Canis infection is limited to hysterical media reports and hearsay. The facts are these:

As the eggs of the Toxocara worm take over two weeks to hatch and become active, there are no health risks to you from immediately clearing up after you dog.

In tests, only five per cent of dogs were found to expel Toxocara worm eggs. Of this five percent, the majority were pups between two weeks and six months of age or pregnant *****es, Foxes and cats are also potential Toxocara hosts. 

If deposited in soil, the eggs of the Toxocara worm can lie dormant for up to three years in the right conditions. They are highly resistant to temperature changes and chemical disinfectants.

Solutions from the Dogs Trust

• If you have a garden, teach your dog to toilet there before you leave home. Faeces can then be bagged and binned, burned or broken down in a sunken chemical 'dog loo'.    

• Use the dog waste bins provided; they are monitored by the LA to gauge their effectiveness    

• If there is no-one to give a positive view and opinion on dog ownership and dog walking, this will never be considered.    

• Never let your dog out alone to toilet. This should go without saying, but it does happen. Apart from fouling, your dog could go missing.    

• Have your dog wormed regularly. Your vet can advise you on this.    

• Always wash your hands after a walk or petting your dog and better eating.   

• Toxocara infections are very rare and are more likely to affect children because of their play habits, but adults can because ill too.

What are your views on this issue? share your views with the community now.

Image from Flickr courtesy of tgraham