The rise of bagged dog fouling in our countryside encouraged Anne Main MP to hold a debate in parliament on the increasing problem.

The St Albans MP said that the ‘aim of this debate will be to raise awareness of the ongoing problem of dog fouling in the country, specifically in woodland and rural areas’ adding that she did not want to ‘demonise dogs or dog owners’ but rather to bring the nation-wide problem to the government’s attention. 

Mrs Main said that she initially thought ‘that maybe this foul practice of lobbing poo bags into hedges and trees was limited to a few irresponsible owners, but a quick trawl of social media and news archives show that the problem is rampant and growing across Britain’. Anne described this practice as an ‘antisocial, environmentally damaging problem [that] blights parks, forests and farm land.’

The MP was keen to stress that there was no ‘one-size-fits-all solution’ and promoting the benefits of ‘educating the public and steering them into good countryside practice’ would go some way to reducing bagged dog fouling in our countryside.

‘[S]trategic placing of bins in rural parks and countryside dog walking hotspots’ could be a ‘key aid to prevent people from incorrectly disposing of dog poo bags,’ said Anne, who also suggested that, ‘better signage in areas like country parks and forests showing where bins are located so people know how far they are from waste disposal.’ 

Anne said that she was advocating the ‘stick and flick’ approach in areas where no livestock grazed and no children would be found playing.  Mrs Main accepted the concerns raised by the National Farmers Union on this matter, stating that ‘the NFU are opposed to dog poo being left behind in rural areas because of the risks posed to the health of cattle’. 

After the debate, Anne remarked that: ‘I am pleased to have raised this issue in parliament to gauge the minister’s response and how they intend to act on this nation-wide problem.  I will be writing to him with some suggestions about how we can involve industry who can help play their part to educate dog-owners on how to deal with this matter properly.’

| Dog poo pictures