A London rubbish collection company says that dog poo litter is up in the capital by 200% since the lockdown.
For dog owners, taking their best friend for a walk during these trying times is one of the few bright spots during the day. But, walking a dog often involves cleaning up after it, and it seems that particularly in London, more and more people are turning a blind eye to this.
According to data from Statista, just under 10% of people in London own a dog. As London is the most populated city in the country, that’s a vast number of dogs and a considerable amount of dog poo. Most sensible and considerate dog owners know the drill, clean up after your dog, pop it in a bag and dispose of it in the correct place. However, it appears that some Londoner’s have their own ideas on how to do this.
Divert.co.uk who provide dog poo litter removal for councils and private landowners are alarmed by the increase in the amount of dog waste not being disposed of in the correct way. Instead of putting the waste in bins, some dog owners are simply leaving in the street with others going to the effort of putting it into a bag then tieing it to a tree!
Not only does this make removing the dog waste more difficult, but it is also incredibly inconsiderate to others and has significant implications on public health.
It would be very unfair to smear all dog owners as most are very responsible and this has been backed up by Keep Britain Tidy and their ‘dog poo fairy’ who’ve found that 90% of dog owners do regularly clean up after their dog.
The ramifications to people’s health aside, it’s not as if there aren’t things in place to ensure dog owners clean up correctly. Those who don’t face a fixed penalty notice of up to £100, which could increase to £1,000 should the matter go to court.
Divert.co.uk spokesperson Mark Hall said; “There is no excuse for this behaviour, especially as the waste can be put into any public bin.” Adding, “It’s lockdown laziness, especially those guys who bag the mess, then don’t bin the bag. Get a grip!”
Why it is essential to pick up, bag and dispose of dog poo correctly:
Contact with dog poo can lead to toxocariasis. This is an infection which can cause nausea, asthma, dizziness and in some cases, blindness and seizures.
In extreme circumstances, contact with dog poo can cause toxocariasis, an infection which can lead to dizziness, nausea, asthma, and in worse case scenarios, blindness, or seizures. Sadly it’s children that are often at a higher risk of catching something nasty.
Every major capital wants to be known as a leader, but being regarded as the dog poo capital of Europe is hardly a moniker any capital can be proud of. Fortunately, this accolade is reputedly held by Paris, and London needs to do everything it can to ensure it doesn’t accidentally take the crown.
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