a guide to improving your local environment - Keep Britain Tidy

What is the best way to clean up after a dog
The best way is to use a doggy bag, or a carrier bag, to
pick up the faeces. Ideally this should then be placed in a
designated dog bin. If this is not possible, the bag should
be taken home and placed in an outside bin, or as a last
resort, the faeces should be double wrapped and put in a
normal litter bin. Poop scoops can also be used and are
available from most pet stores.
www.encams.org
What about other animals
Local authorities may have powers under Part III of the
Environmental Protection Act 1990 to tackle the problem
of fouling by animals other than dogs (such as cats or
horses). They can take action against 'any animal kept in
such a place or a manner as to be prejudicial to health or
nuisance'. However, it is for a local authority's
Environmental Health Officer to decide whether there is a
'Statutory Nuisance' occurring in a particular situation. If
the authority decides that this is the case it must serve
an Abatement Notice on the person responsible or the
owner or occupier of the premises. Failure to comply with
an Abatement Notice without reasonable cause may
result in substantial fines.
DOG FOULING
After dogs, the most common complaint is levelled at
cats (although this is relatively rare). There is not
sufficient evidence of widespread nuisance from cats to
suggest that special legislative controls are necessary.
Risks associated with cat fouling can usually be
controlled locally. Cats can be deterred from leaving
faeces in gardens through the use of 'pepper dust' or by
blocking off of favourite cat-entry routes (e.g. under the
gate) with netting.
ENCAMS work on dog fouling
ENCAMS research shows that approximately 226,000
members of the public complain to their local council
about dog fouling each year. Because of this ENCAMS
decided to focus one of its campaigns for 2002/2003 on
trying to combat the problem of dog fouling. The aim of
the campaign was to change the behaviour of
irresponsible dog owners, and reduce dog fouling by 20%.
23