Dog fouling
We take dog fouling very seriously. With over 300 dog waste bins
in the district, free poop scoop bags and 'no fouling' signs and
stencils, there is no excuse not to clean up after your
dog.
The Fouling of Land by Dogs (West Lancashire) Order
2008
The above Order came into force on the 1 May
2008 under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act
2005. This Order will cover every location across West
Lancashire.
If dog owners do not clear up after their pet, they will be
issued with a fixed penalty of £75 and may be prosecuted.
How to report a dog fouling problem
You can report a dog fouling problem in two ways:
We investigate dog fouling complaints and take a hard line
against offenders. However, as our Officers have to witness the
offence before a fixed penalty notice can be served, it can be
difficult for our Officers to catch the culprit, particularly as a
dog fouling offence can occur very quickly.
Therefore when you make a complaint, we will ask you to complete a
questionnaire and also keep a log of when you have seen any fouling
incidents. We will use this information to target offenders to
improve the chances of catching those responsible. So when you need
to make a complaint about dog fouling, please help us to
investigate your complaint by providing as much information as you
can, such as:
- the location of the fouling
- the dates or times when dogs are seen to foul
- details of the breed, colour and size of the dog
- any information regarding the dog's owner
If you can't provide this information, it will greatly
reduce our chances of catching offenders. In these circumstances,
your complaint will be dealt with as part of our routine
patrols.
Free poop scoop bags
To encourage owners to clean up after their dogs, we offer free
scented poop scoop bags. You can get bags from all Council offices,
including Beacon Country Park. Bags are also available from other
outlets in the Borough such as, police stations and libraries, but
these are subject to availability. Or, you can order bags
online:
Please note: due to limited resources, we can only send poop
scoop bags to residents of West Lancashire. If you live outside
West Lancashire, please ask your own local council if they provide
free bags.
Dog waste bins
We look after over 300 dog waste bins in the most popular dog
walking locations throughout the Borough - and have an ongoing
programme of installing even more.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide every location with a bin.
Therefore, we make a careful assessment of each proposed site,
taking the following matters into account:
- number of dog fouling complaints in the area
- local amenity
- health and safety considerations
If you notice that a dog waste bin is damaged or missing you can
report it to us:
Cleaning up dog fouling
Our Street Scene
Services are responsible for removing dog fouling in public places.
You can request a clean-up: