War declared on West Yorkshire dirty dogs - have your say here

Sep 20 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

WAR was declared today on West Yorkshire’s dirty dogs.

All five councils backed a tough new campaign by Keep Britain Tidy to tackle the horrible amount of dog mess on our streets and parks.

And all promised tougher action against dog-owners, who fail to clean up after their pets.

The new crackdown was being launched with a photocall in Cleckheaton, attended by the region’s dog wardens.

Kirklees and Calderdale Councils joined forces with Keep Britain Tidy to wage war against irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up after their pets.

There are currently around eight million dogs in the UK, producing approximately one million metric tonnes of faeces each year – that’s enough to cover 1,300 Wembley pitches.

A campaign spokesman said: “Many dog owners responsibly throw away a large proportion of this mess, but there are still owners out there who are prepared to leave their dog’s mess littered on our streets, in our parks and around our countryside.

“Dog mess can be thrown in any general litter bin, but a recent Keep Britain Tidy survey shows that four out of five respondents are not aware of this”

Phil Barton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy said: “Dog fouling is the most offensive type of litter on our streets and is constantly rated as one of the most important issues blighting their local area by the public.

“Having our streets and parks caked in dog mess is disgusting.

“It looks unsightly, can make areas appear run down, is unpleasant for those who stand in it and is dangerous to our health.