Falling foul of the law: Go.Compare reveals the areas with the most dog fouling fines
Dog fouling is a mucky business – but it seems that county councils across the UK deal with the issue very differently. Go.Compare pet insurance submitted FOI requests and looked at all the fines issued across 93 county councils in the last 12 months* and found that, while certain places issued only one or two fines for the whole year so far, others served up more than 50.
The top ten places dog owners fell foul of the law so far this year are:
|
|
Place |
Fines Issued |
Fines Paid |
|
1 |
Cornwall |
53 |
46 |
|
2 |
Bassetlaw |
31 |
26 |
|
3 |
Barnsley |
28 |
14 |
|
4 |
Burnley |
25 |
- |
|
5 |
Merton (London) |
22 |
4 |
|
6 |
North Tyneside |
13 |
5 |
|
7 |
Arun |
12 |
7 |
|
8 |
Wolverhampton |
11 |
9 |
|
9 |
Redcar and Cleveland |
11 |
7 |
|
10 |
Blaenau Gwent |
9 |
5 |
Picturesque Cornwall had the most dog poo penalties this year, with 53 fines issued – significantly more than Bassetlaw in second place, with 31 fines, and Barnsley with 25.
On the other end of the scale, 11 county councils – including Liverpool, Cheshire, and London boroughs Ealing, Newham and Bromley – only issued a single dog fouling fine throughout 2022.
And it seems that no matter the location, pet owners have an issue with paying their fines – of the 22 fines issued in Merton, in London, only four of the culprits paid up, while North Tyneside can only boast five paid fines out of their 14 total.
Ceri McMillian, pet expert at Go.Compare said, "Fines for dog fouling range from £50 to £100 across the UK – and in Hammersmith and Fulham, dog walkers could soon be facing fines of up to £100 just for being caught without poo bags, with the council even considering 'stop and search' to catch out unprepared pet owners.
"In some places such as Cardiff, a fixed fine can increase to £1,000 if the case is referred to the Magistrates Court for prosecution.
"But ultimately, the threat of a fine shouldn't be the only thing keeping our communities clean – picking up after your pooch is one of the many responsibilities that comes with dog ownership, alongside keeping them safe, well-fed and looked after. We believe it's a simple common courtesy to pick up after your pup, and it's not just about being polite, it's also hugely important for owners to take responsibility for their dog's mess, as leaving it can lead to health hazards such as toxocariasis."
