National Poop Scoop Week
Monday 26th July – Sunday 1st August 2010
Each summer Keep Scotland Beautiful teams up with the Dogs Trust to promote National Poop Scoop Week throughout Scotland. The week-long campaign reminds dog walkers in a fun and friendly way to clean up after their dog – and of the £40 penalty they could face if they fail to "grab it, bag it, bin it".
KSB's travelling roadshow
In 2010 passersby met our dog mascots, picked up free dog poo bags and found out more about their responsibilities as a dog owner at various locations during the campaign week. We pitched up our marquee, invited people to take part in our survey and gave out free doggy bags at:
- Sun 25th July - Dogs Trust Family Fun Day & Fun Dog Show, Strathclyde Park, North Lanarkshire
- Tue 27th July - Saltcoats beach front, North Ayrshire
- Sun 1st Aug - Forestry Commission's Top Dog's Day Out, Glenmore Forest Park, near Loch Morlich
What else happened in your area in 2010
- Argyll & Bute:
There was a dog fouling awareness week at Duchess Wood, Helensburgh.
- East Ayrshire:
The council's Corporate Enforcement Unit led patrols with Strathclyde Police to target dog owners who do not pick up after their dogs. Offenders witnessed during the week were issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice or charged under the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 and reported to the Procurator Fiscal. The council also has an online reporting form for dog fouling offences.
- Fife:
The Council's Environmental Services toured four areas of Fife throughout the week with a mobile exhibition trailer – and Dog Wardens were supported by Environmental Enforcement Officers and a CCTV team. They visited:
- 27 July - Bay Regents Road Park, Dalgety
- 28 July - King George V Park, Leven
- 29 July - Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy
- 30 July - Duloch Park, Dunfermline
- Highland:
Dog Wardens from Highland Council toured the area with a mobile exhibition, to encourage as many people as possible to "pick up and bag it". They could be found at:
- 26 July - Tesco Car Park, Dingwall
- 27 July - Beach at Gairloch
- 28 & 29 July - Parade, High Street, Fort William
- 30 July - Beach at Rosemarkie
- Highland:
Perfect Paws Canine Club held poo-picking events in Tain and Dornoch on Saturday 31st July, supported by the Highland Council Education & Enforcement Officer and dog wardens. For further information please contact Perfect Paws Canine Club.
- Moray:
The Eco School Committee, Primary 7 of Mortlach Primary, Dufftown, produced leaflets and posters to distribute around the village to highlight National Poop Scoop Week.
- Scottish Borders:
"Bagit" the cleanest dog in Scotland went along to the Border Union Show on 30th and 31st July to meet visitors while wardens from Scottish Borders Council promoted the "Bag it, Tie it, Bin it" message.
- South Ayrshire:
The council's Environmental Health Department led a dog fouling initiative. Police and council enforcement officers targeted dog fouling hotspots to spell out the messages "Bag it and Bin it" and "Pick up or Pay up", with the help of local community groups and residents groups. Supporting supermarkets sold various doggy goods at a discount.
If you are planning an event as part of National Poop Scoop Week 2011 please contact Keep Scotland Tidy so we can promote what you are doing on this website.
How you can take part
Whether you are part of a community group, work for a local authority, or are just fed up with dog poo in your neighbourhood, there are many ways you can take action as part of National Poop Scoop Week 2011.
Anyone
- Ask your local vet, pet shop, or library to display posters/leaflets asking people to clean up after their pet.
- Organise a sponsored dog walk around an area where there is a lot of dog poo.
- Reward dog walkers who clean up after their pet by handing out cards inviting them to take part in a prize draw.
- Host a dog show, agility display, or family fun day and make sure the dog fouling message is spelled out at the event.
- Make sure your local newspapers and radio stations know about your efforts to get people to clean up after their pets. They may even agree to running a joint campaign.
- Contact your local council to find out how they are taking part in National Poop Scoop Week.
- Invite your local MP, MSP, or Councillor to get involved, eg by attending a photo-shoot. Dog poo is one of the most common problems that people complain to them about, so it's in their interests to get involved!
Local authority
- Hand out free dog poo bags to dog walkers in a problem area.
- Arrange a free identity chipping service to attract dog owners to your event and remind them of their responsibility to clean up after their dog at the same time.
- Arrange for council enforcement officers or community wardens to target a specific problem area, so they can give warnings or fixed penalty notices to offending dog walkers.
- Update your website so your "dog fouling" pages link to this campaign page.
- Team up with your countryside rangers, dog wardens, waste enforcement officers or any other colleagues affected by dog fouling to discuss how you can work together.
- Use the campaign as an opportunity to publicise what you’re already doing to address the problem of dog fouling, what you’ve done in the past and what you’re planning for the future, eg the installation of additional dog poo bins, the number of fixed penalty notices issued or stopline services.
The message
By taking the following important steps, the problem of dog fouling can become a thing of the past in Scotland:
- GRAB IT - Always keep a supply of bags near your dog's lead so you don't forget to take them with you on every walk. Simply insert your hand in the bag and pick up your dog’s waste.
- BAG IT - Carefully turn the bag inside out to "bag" your dog's mess.
- BIN IT - Dispose of the bag in a bin. Dog waste can be put in a public litter bin if a specific dog waste bin is not provided.