Clearing up confusion over where Wolverhampton dog owners can dispose of their pets' poo is the latest initiative in the city council's Operation Spring Clean campaign.

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The council wants to make people aware that they can place dog mess in any public litter bin - they do not need to waste time searching for a specific dog poo bin.

It comes after the authority recently carried out an online survey into the issue of dog fouling and a significant number of people were unsure where they were able to get rid of their animals' poop.

Councillor John Reynolds, cabinet member for city services, said: "We always encourage people to pick up after their dogs and always carry poo bags with them when out for a walk. However, some of the feedback we had from a recent online survey into dog fouling indicated that people were unsure which bins they could place bagged dog mess in.

"You can put bagged dog mess in any public litter bin - you don't have to find a specific dog poo bin. It all goes to the same incinerator, so it doesn't matter which bin you use.  We have 1,500 litter bins around the city, so you will never be far away from one."

Stickers will be placed on all litter bins advising people that they can also be used to dispose of dog mess.

The council wants to do something to tackle the problem of dog fouling in the city which is the cause of around 500 complaints a year and something 91% of survey said they felt was a problem in their neighbourhood.

Councillor Reynolds said: "We are leafleting areas which get the most complaints about dog fouling. We want to really get the message out there that this disgusting problem is incredibly anti social. It can carry disease and cause blindness.

"Dog fouling is illegal and you risk getting fined, but perhaps a more powerful deterrent to people who don't pick up after their pets is that your neighbours probably know it is you.

"Do you want the reputation in your community of being someone who does something that is so disgusting and causes such anger from the majority of people who obey the law?

"We would urge people to download our free Wolverhampton Report It app for your mobile phone or tablet and let us know when you see dog fouling. We will get the mess cleared up and use that intelligence to carry out targeted enforcement activity in problem areas."

You can find out more about the council's Operation Spring Clean campaign by logging onto Type=articles;Articleid=4220;Title=Operation Spring Clean; or following @opspringclean on Twitter.

  • released: Tuesday 24 March, 2015