Dog Fouling - Done to Death, I know . . .

You should have used the camera on your mobile and reported it.

You would be better off contacting your local dog warden rather than posting on RW. Ours are more than happy to hide out in hotspots and dish out the fines - IF they know there is a problem area. Pointless getting into an arguement, however a fixed penalty might change their mind

Yes its quite true that the dog shit law doesn't apply to woodland, however, responsible dog owners clear up wherever they are.

My own area has a place where owners of shit machines regulary take them to be emptied. The arrogance of these types is too be believed. There is 'no way' they are going to clear up anything.

What can you do?

A distant associate of mine had a run in with an owner who fly tipped his animal in the street. The discussion; of which, got out of hand. Whereas my associate took the matter into hand.

I'll spare you the details but it cost the owner a trip to the dry cleaners.

It is a comon misunderstanding that open woodland is "off limits" where dog fouling is concerned. This was a good example:

http://www.pendle.gov.uk/news/article/1387/barrowford_man_prosecuted_for_allowing_dog_to_foul_in_public_woodland

A lot of our is woodlands trust - not sure it applies there

I did see a woman bagging up her dogs poo and leaving it by a bench as I was running. 

I challenged her - and she turned out to be deaf - so that was a bit awkward. 

She did tell me that she did that all of the time and she picks it up on the way back from her walk.  Still seems irresponsible to me - even if she was telling the truth.

I'm sure i've seen forests where they just want you to 'flick' the poo into the bushes. They seemed to think that was better than having to dispose of plastic bags of poo ?

just to clear up.

Govt legislation website here states land to which law applies

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/20/section/1

excerpt:

(3)This Act does not apply to land of any of the following descriptions, namely—
  (a)land used for agriculture or for woodlands;
  (b)land which is predominantly marshland, moor or heath; and
  (c)common land to which the public are entitled or permitted to have access otherwise than by virtue of section 193(1) of the M1Law of Property Act 1925 (right of access to urban common land).

Also-ran wrote (see)

You would be better off contacting your local dog warden rather than posting on RW. Ours are more than happy to hide out in hotspots and dish out the fines - IF they know there is a problem area. Pointless getting into an arguement, however a fixed penalty might change their mind

I'd like to see them camped out waiting for offenders.

I am a dog walker (springer spaniel) so always have plenty of bob bags with me. Once, when walking down the street with the mutt, I saw another dog do his business on the pavement but the owner didnt pick it up. I did pick it up, followed the owner home and deposited said bag of bob into his garden, making sure he saw me do it. He came out his house and was most apologetic when I explained what I had seen. I just told him it was a load of shit and walked off

I popped a litterbugs tissue back thru his car window when he lobbed it out as i ran past.  He got out and threatened to kill me !  Ended up in a police chase and he got told off.  You must have a better class of litterbug carter. 

Once when having a rest during a run on a bridge over my local canal, I observed a lad swaggering along the towpath with one of those Staffie terriers.

The dog stopped and did his business; really put his back into it, while his owner looked furtively around.

When the lad was sure no-one was looking, he reached into his pocket, produced a poo bag and promptly cleared up after the hound. Bag concealed, he went on his way.

Image maintained. Respect to that man.

y'see - I have a problem with this dog fouling law as I think the world's gone mad and OTT on it.

in t'old days when I were a mere lad, people didn't worry about dog shit - especially when it was in grassy/wooded/off pavement etc areas.  it would break down naturally and not cause any nuisance.  unsightly - sure; dangerous - no.  

then along came concerns about dog shit containing toxiplasmosis, toxicaria, cryptosporidium, ringworm etc and to control the spread of these diseases, dog shit chould be collected and disposed of IN CASE you or your kids go playing in the shit and catch something.   and bar a very few cases, the risk of catching anything from dog shit is minimal compared to what you will pick up in daily living - you've a bigger chance of pickig up a HAI (hospital acquired infection) IN HOSPITAL than you have from getting toxicaria from playing in dog shit.

now, maybe I'm odd, but I don't think I have ever seen anyone wilfully playing in dog shit - accidentally, yes, as I remember rolling through a big pile of it which covered my arse (how coincidental) when playing King of the Castle with some mates when I was about 8.   and boy, did it stink.   but anyway, I've never seen anyone go rooting around the stuff for fun.

and the other problem.  waste disposal.  as I said earlier, dog shit breaks down naturally and quite quickly if left to it's own devices.  but what do people do?  they stick it in little plastic bags and then dispose of them.  plastic bags take in the region of a 1000years to break down - bar biodegradeable ones but how many people bag shit in them??? not many I would suggest.  and of course they are made from petrochemicals - a reducing resource on this planet.  so what you end up with is a pile of plastic bags that down't break down readily stuffed full of dog shit that woud break down easily "in the wild".  to me that's a lot worse than letting dog shit be.

and of course, if you're looking after your wee animal's welfare you will be regulalry worming them and ensuring they're not fed unhygienic and contaminated food.  that way, their shit is pretty clean - probably no more contaminated with bacteria and parasites than yours or mine although I don't usual inspect either that closely.

of course clean it up from pavements, public areas, or where anyone is likely to step in it -  and from your own garden if you have kids - but don't get uptight if you see a dog shitting in the woods.  it will only be doing what comes naturally - much like  foxes, badgers, deer and all sorts of assorted mammals - and dare I say bears?? 

Liz EE - take a reality check next time you see a dog voiding a rancid coil in the woods and don't get shirty with the dog's owner - at least it's not shitting on the footpath.  just keep running

as for cats and their habit of shitting in gardens, covering it over and leaving it there for the next time I start sticking my hands in the soil to plant things - do NOT get me started.  and killing all the birds visiting my winter feeders.  annoying little fuckers.

FB - please do share your thoughts about shitting cats. I, for one, would be most interested in them

carter - I think my last 3 words sum up my thoughts on shitting cats.....

All dog owners are selfish pricks and all dogs should be killed!

Might be heading for some abuse here but I agree with fat buddha. I don't really see a huge problem with dog shit in woods or fields. I walk in woods or fields with my dog a fair bit and she will occasionally do a shit there, always away from any path. If some busybody started running after me telling me that I should pick it up, I'd probably be pretty pissed off. Fair enough if it's in the middle of the street or a park but in fields or woods - I don't see the issue.

agree with that Matt. I dislike dogs, and dislike dog owners, but in some muddy woods, often off the main trail's who on earth gives a s...

cougie wrote (see)

I did see a woman bagging up her dogs poo and leaving it by a bench as I was running. 

I challenged her - and she turned out to be deaf - so that was a bit awkward. 

She did tell me that she did that all of the time and she picks it up on the way back from her walk.  Still seems irresponsible to me - even if she was telling the truth.

 

As for this, this is intriguing. Seems a reasonable thing for her to do, not wanting to carry a bag of poo with her. I doubt anyone else is going to either steal it, or be at risk for it in the meantime.

Of more interest, how is it you had this conversation when she's deaf? Do you know the sign language for "please take your poo bag with you", or did you engage in some kind of mime artistry?

I want to know who the self centred bastards are who hang their dog shit bags on trees and fences.   they need slapping.