THE importance of cleaning up after your dog is to be underlined in a new social media campaign beginning this Wednesday.
Clare County Council is teaming up with its colleagues in Cork county, Limerick and Tipperary local authorities for the campaign to combat dog litter.
It will run until next Monday and take in the May bank holiday when more people than ever will be expected to be out walking their dogs.
Leas Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Pat Burke, welcomed this social media campaign targeting the scourge of dog poo on our streets, footpaths, greens and other public spaces.
Councillor Burke said: “Dog litter is an issue throughout County Clare. Everyone has an experience of stepping in it or wheeling in it with buggies, wheelchairs and bikes.
“I am asking citizens with dogs to be responsible, show you love your dog, your community and your county and protect public health. Please pick up after your dog and bag and bin the dog poo.”
This campaign highlights that all bags, containing dog poop, are litter and this includes dog litter bags that are compostable. It is not an uncommon sight to see bags containing dog litter left on our hedgerows and even left hanging from trees.
We are delighted to work in collaboration with: @LimerickEnviron @LimerickCouncil@Corkcoco@TipperaryCoCo
and raising awareness about cleaning up after our dogs #TogetherWeCare #BagItBinIt https://t.co/6HKlZewt3S— Greener Clare (@GreenerClare) April 26, 2021
The campaign emphasises the importance for dog owners of always controlling their dog and not allowing them to roam freely, leaving dog poo in public spaces. It will also address the importance of bringing home your dog’s poo waste if there are no public bins or if the public bins are full.
Dog poo is unpleasant, unsightly and smelly, as well as unhygienic and it can spread disease. It is estimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million faecal coliform bacteria.
These bacteria can cause cramps, diarrhoea, intestinal illness, and serious kidney disorders in humans. Escherichia coli (E. coli), a particularly nasty bacteria, and parasites like roundworm and their larvae, which can cause loss of vision, are also found in dog poo. Children are most at risk of these diseases.
Dog littering is not a dog problem, but a dog owner problem, and people are asked to take poo bags every time they walk their dog in a public place. Many responsible dog owners are doing this already and know that it is the law to bag and bin their dog’s litter.
Follow the campaign in full on Clare County Council’s Greener Clare social media pages @GreenerClare