Get Out Your Doggy Bags Bideford - It's National Poop Scoop Week!

By Hyperlocal | Friday, July 16, 2010, 13:02

Dog poo is one of the most moaned about subjects from Bideford residents and Torridge

District Council is urging local dog owners to pick up the poop and help

keep our public spaces clean for a great summer outdoors.

Trust Poop Scoop Week initiative, from 26th

July - 1st August,

the Grab It, Bag It and

Bin It message is

a simple action plan everyone can follow.

Councillor

Barry Parsons, Torridge’s lead member for Environmental Protection,

said, “Littering our parks, pavements and public spaces, dog poop

is a problem which Torridge District Council is tackling heads on.

While the majority of owners are responsible and pick up after their

dog, a careless and selfish few are still giving everyone else a bad

name. I would urge all dog owners to Grab It, Bag It and Bin It and

keep our beautiful and much loved open spaces clean for everyone to

enjoy.”

Councillor

Adam Symons, lead member for Health added, “Cleaning up after your

dog is not just a troublesome chore - it

can pose a serious health risk if you do not. A large number of

common parasites, including round worm, are transmitted by dog waste

which can remain in the soil for many years. Children who play in

parks, cricket fields and other play areas are obviously at risk, as

any human or animal who comes in contact with the soil also comes in

contact with the infected eggs.”

Tips

from the Dogs Trust:

Always

carry something to clean up - a plastic bag or a ‘poop scoop’

device
If

you have a garden, train your dog to go there & make sure you

clean up straight away
Don’t

rely on the rain to wash it away
Never

let your dog out alone to toilet
Politely

encourage guilty owners you meet to do their duty - simply offer