The dog fouling capitals of the UK revealed

They may be man’s best friend, but dog fouling is fast becoming man’s pet hate. You don’t need us to tell you that dog fouling is on the rise; every week there are reports in local press about dog fouling. And residents are going to war on culprits; videos of dog owners leaving their pets’ messes are being shared on social media seemingly every day. On top of that, a recent survey revealed that 55% of people see dog poo on the street in their local area ‘often’, while Google searches for ‘reporting dog fouling’ have increased 140% in the last 90 days.

So at Vitasure, we wanted to find out how bad the problem was - and where the biggest offenders are.

There were 63,000 complaints of dog fouling reported in just a 12 month period, UK-wide.

We asked councils up and down the UK how many complaints of dog fouling they had received over the last couple of years to find out how big an issue it is on our streets. And there’s a reason you are probably hearing more about dog fouling this year than in previous years; in short, the numbers are on the rise.

217 councils responded to our request, and had a total of 63,000 complaints between March 2023 and March 2024 - up from 56,000 between March 2022 and March 2023.

Despite being a nation of dog lovers, this is a startling figure considering you can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100 on the spot the fine for not picking up your dog's poo. You can also be fined for not carrying poo bags when out and about in public with your dog.

So where are the worst dog poo and dash offenders?

The city of Belfast tops the list with the most reports of dog fouling to the City’s Council. With  4,721 reports of dog fouling between March 2022 and March 2024. This equates to around 200 reports per month, or just under 50 per day, meaning the Northern Irish capital beat out the capital’s boroughs and larger cities to be crowned the dog poo capital of the UK.

The London Borough of Camden comes in second place, with 4,419 reports of fouling during the same period, while the City of Sunderland rounded off the top three, albeit with far fewer reports of dog fouling - 3,115 between March 2022 and March 2024.

The worst places for dog fouling 

The difference year on year:

Despite the growing number of complaints, fewer people are being served Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for not clearing up after their dogs. Just 1,006 fixed penalty notices were issued between March 2023 and March 2024 - 147 fewer than the previous year. And the councils that reported the highest numbers of dog fouling are no exception; despite 30,196 dog fouling complaints between March 2023 and March 2024, just 117 FPNs were issued.

So, why is this becoming such an issue? While we don’t condone leaving your dog’s waste on the curb-side, a lack of bins could be an issue for owners. While many towns and cities are expanding with new homes being built on previously unoccupied land, the number of bins isn’t increasing in line with this growth. Fewer than half of the councils that responded had increased the number of bins, with 31 actually reducing the number of bins they provide.

What are the dangers of leaving dog poo in public places?

With almost double the number of dogs in the UK compared to 2011, some dog fouling is expected. However, even if you are lucky enough to live in an area where you see it less often, dog fouling does pose health risks.

Even a healthy dog’s faeces can contain bacteria, such as Salmonella, E. Coli, and Campylobacter. Parasites can also be transferred to humans from dog poo. These can cause health problems that range from feeling unwell to needing hospital treatment - and are particularly dangerous to children. Dog poo can also cause issues for livestock if not cleared up correctly.

How can you help reduce the amount of dog poo in public spaces?

If you have a dog, it’s important to thoroughly clean up after your dog - every time. While some people believe that you do not have to when in the countryside, it is just as important to clean up your dog’s mess as it is when on the street.

If you see dog poo in any public space, you can opt to clean it up yourself if you have a dog poo bag to hand, or you can report it to your local council, who will arrange removal.

Similarly, if you see someone not cleaning up after their dog, you can contact your local council who will try and track down the owner and give them a FPN.

If you find dog waste becoming a problem near your house - such as in front of your drive or outside your door - you can invest in signs that are designed to work as a deterrent.

Methodology:

We sent freedom of information requests to all councils in the UK and asked them the following:

• How many complaints have you had in the last 12 months (March 2023-March 2024) about dog poo/dog waste being reported in public areas - i.e. in parks, on pavements, walkways, public fields, etc.?
• How many complaints have you had in the last 12 months (March 2023-March 2024) about dog poo/dog waste being reported on private property - i.e. someone’s front garden, driveway, path, etc,?
• How many complaints did you have in the 12 months prior (March 2022-March 2023) about dog poo/dog waste being reported in public areas?
• How many complaints did you have in the 12 months prior (March 2022-March 2023) about dog poo/dog waste being reported on private property - i.e. someone’s front garden, driveway, path, etc,?
• How many people were prosecuted or issued with a fixed penalty notice for not cleaning up dog waste/dog poo between March 2023-March 2024?
• How many people were prosecuted or issued with a fixed penalty notice for not cleaning up dog waste/dog poo between March 2022-March 2023?
• How many dog poo/dog waste bins do you have, as of March 2024? This includes dedicated dog poo/dog waste bins as well as public litter bins that accept dog waste
• How many dog poo/dog waste bins did you have as of March 2023? This includes dedicated dog poo/dog waste bins as well as public litter bins that accept dog waste.
• Do you have any plans to increase the number of dog poo/dog waste bins?
• Do you have any plans to decrease the number of dog poo/dog waste bins?
• If so, on either question 9 or 10, by how many - please state a number rather than a percentage.

271 councils responded before our cut-off date and the results were recorded.