Dog poop is a problem
we deal with on a daily basis. The main reason for
dog fouling laws is because dog poop is unhygienic
and a health hazard. Dog fouling is unsightly,
unpleasant and can lead to toxocariasis in humans.
Here are some facts you need to know:
1. Dog poop is not good fertilizer. It's toxic to
your lawn! The high nutrient concentration in dog
poop will burn and discolour the grass, creating
‘hot spots’.
2. For many years pet waste has been classified as a
dangerous pollutant in the same category as toxic
chemicals and oil.
3. You may not live near water, but unscooped poop
from your area is carried by overland water flow or
is washed into storm drains, ending up in far away
streams, rivers and ground water.
4. Dog poop can spread parasites including
hookworms, ringworms, tapeworms and Salmonella. When
infected it comes into contact with your lawn, the
poop will eventually "disappear", but the parasite
eggs can linger for years! When a human or animal
comes into contact with that soil through everyday
activities like walking barefoot, gardening or
playing, they risk infection from those eggs ...
even years after the poop is gone.
5. Pet waste is teaming with E. Coli and other
harmful bacteria including fecal coliform bacteria,
which causes serious kidney disorders, intestinal
illness, cramps and diarrhoea in humans. (There are
23 million fecal coliform bacteria in a single gram
of pet waste!)
6. Dog poop often contains roundworm larvae, which
cause blindness. If a human ingests a roundworm
larva, it can migrate through the body causing
disease to the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, heart
or eyes. So when people (especially children) touch
soil, dog toys or anything that has been in contact
with dog poop and then touch their mouths, they can
become infected.
7. Dog poop doesn't just ‘wash away’ or disappear.
So if you're not disposing of your dog's waste,
you're putting yourself, your family, your dog and
your water supply at risk.
Dog Fouling - the law
Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 makes it
an offence for the person in charge of a dog not to
clean up when their dog fouls in a public place.
Please act responsibly - clean up after your dog and
dispose of the dirt in a suitable sanitary manner.
Dog dirt is a health hazard and some day your child
might be affected by someone else’s failure to ‘do
the right thing’. Failure to clean up your dog’s
waste can lead to a €150 ‘on-the-spot’ fine or on
summary conviction to a fine of up to €3,000. |
