National Poop Scoop Week
22nd - 26th June 2009
In 2008 Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) teamed up with the Dogs Trust for the first time to promote National Poop Scoop Week throughout Scotland. In June 2009 the organisations united once again to remind dog owners to "Grab it, bag it, bin it".
During the week of 22nd - 26th June 2009 KSB staff, the Dogs Trust, council employees and other partners took part in a travelling roadshow to various dog poo hotspots around Scotland to remind dog walkers to act responsibly. Meanwhile, other councils and community groups up and down the country also organised their own events to tie in with the national campaign.
Travelling roadshow
Dog owners could meet our new dog mascots, pick up some free dog poo bags and find out more about their responsibilities as a dog owner at the following locations:
- Monday 22nd - Castle Heather Park, Inverness (Highland Council)
- Tuesday 23rd - North Inch, Perth (Perth & Kinross Council)
- Wednesday 24th - Balloch Country Park (West Dunbartonshire Council & Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park)
- Thursday 25th - Balbardie Park, Bathgate (West Lothian Council)
- Friday 26th - Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline (Fife Council)
We pitched up the KSB and Dogs Trust marquees, zipped around the parks on customised ‘Pooper scooters’, flagged up where dog poo had been left on the ground, and gave out free leaflets and poo bags to dog walkers.
What else happened
- The Highland Council distributed leaflets and displayed posters around the villages in Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.
- First Scotrail displayed anti dog fouling posters in railway stations.
- Angus Council's enforcement officers targeted offending dog walkers in Montrose over a two week period, beginning 22nd June.
- Stirling Council's Environmental Services and Streetscape Officers had a week of enforcement with a combination of foot and vehicle patrols.
If you are planning an event as part of National Poop Scoop Week 2010, or if you would like to nominate a dog poo hotspot for next year's KSB roadshow, please contact Keep Scotland Tidy. KSB can also supply leaflets and posters to help spread the "Grab it, bag it, bin it" message throughout the year.
Awareness-raising ideas
Whether you work for a local authority, or are a land manager, or a member of the public, there are things you can do to raise awareness of local dog fouling issues.
- Ask your local vet, pet shop, or library to display posters/leaflets asking people to clean up after their pet.
- Hand out dog poo bags to dog walkers in a problem area.
- Organise a sponsored dog walk around an area where there is a lot of dog poo.
- Hand out cards to dog owners when they clean up after their pet, to reward good behaviour, so they can enter a prize draw.
- Arrange a free identity chipping service to attract dog owners and remind them of their other responsibilities at the same time.
- Host a dog show or agility display and make sure the dog fouling message is spelled out at the event.
- 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.
- Make sure your local newspapers and radio stations know about your efforts to get people to clean up after their pets!
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.