Higher taxes favoured to tackle dog foul culprits

Some 72 per cent of people surveyed said they would be willing to pay an extra one per cent in taxes if the money was used to provide better dog waste collection services and increased notices of the hazards of dog waste in public areas.

Another 20 per cent of people said they would like to see stiffer fines imposed on owners who allow their dogs to foul pavements and parks.

The poll was conducted by Poo-Chi Scarves, a Crawley, business that specialises in producing scarves for dogs. Poo-Chi Scarves have been design to include a unique pocket for dogs to carry their own disposable poop bags.

Five thousand people from across the country were surveyed in the poll.

Poo-Chi Scarves director Jacqueline Rose said: “We surveyed customers and members of our social networks and the result was pretty unanimous.

“When it comes to tackling the problem of dogs fouling public places, people are prepared to pay a little bit extra.

“Our results prove that the issue of dogs being allowed to foul parks and pavements is an issue that we all care about. We want to see more being done by local authorities and central government.

“Allowing a dog to foul a public place exposes other people to potential harm. This, in itself, is an assault by the dog owner and should be treated as such.”

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