As the dog population sits at approximately 8 million and is only set to grow so too is the problem with dog mess. For the first time in ten years a rise in dog fouling has been reported* and with 64% of people considering it to be the most offensive litter item, something needs to be done to tackle the problem. Justin Tomlinson, MP for North Swindon, is this year lending support to The Big Scoop, an initiative to be launched on 14 June by Dogs Trust and Keep Britain Tidy with the help of celebrity campaigner Ben Fogle to urge people to not only collect their dog’s mess but dispose of it properly too.
Dogs Trust approached all MPs asking whether the issue of dog fouling is affecting their constituents and the overwhelming feedback was a resounding yes.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: “In a recent ward resident survey here in North Swindon nearly half highlighted this as an issue – by far the greatest issue raised! It is clear that it only takes a few very selfish dog owners to ruin an area by not ‘bagging it and binning it’. The vast majority of dog owners in this area are responsible, which makes it even more infuriating! I support The Big Scoop as an excellent initiative to highlight the problems of dog fouling and urge people to take responsibility for their dogs.”
