Dogs Trust Launches “The Big Scoop Award” As Part Of Tidy Towns 2018
This year, as part of ‘The Big Scoop’ dog fouling awareness campaign, Dogs Trust is taking part in TidyTowns 2018 under the Special Award Category. The Big Scoop Award aims to encourage dog owners to take responsibility and pick up after their dogs, thus reducing the amount of dog poo being left in public spaces.
Dogs Trust would like to see every TidyTowns committee, old or new, applying for The Big Scoop Award and choose an area in their community where they have found dog fouling to be particularly problematic. The community who wins the award will have demonstrated the most creative and sustainable way of dealing with the issue of dog fouling in their community.
Dogs Trust Launches “The Big Scoop Award” As Part Of Tidy Towns 2018
A recent Behaviour and Attitudes survey found that 7 in 10 people claimed to have walked in dog poo on the street, 60% in a park, 44% in the house, 43% in the local children’s park, 24% rolled a buggy through it, 20% rolled a bicycle through it, 10% rolled their wheelchair through it.
Aside from the yuck-factor of stepping in dog poo, there can be major health implications associated with it. Dog poo can contain nasty bacteria such as E-coli and parasites like roundworm, the larvae of which can cause loss of vision. That is why Dogs Trust wants all communities to come together to encourage dog owners to be kind to their community and scoop that poop!
Dogs Trust has created an animation which emphasizes the issue of dog fouling and those that it affects, while also highlighting how simple it is to be a responsible dog owner.
If you want your TidyTowns Committee to get involved all you have to do is visit www.dogstrust.ie/TidyTow
The closing date for completed application forms is May 23rd. To be sure you have enough time to complete your project before then, Dogs Trust recommends you download the application right away and get your thinking cap on and your committee ready!
If you want to check that your town/village has a TidyTowns committee, check out the ‘Get Involved’ section on www.tidytowns.ie. You will find steps on how to contact your local committee or how to set-up a committee if there isn’t already one.
The Big Scoop Award is looking for the most inventive and long-term solutions – so don’t delay, download the application form today and have the poo bags at the ready! Let’s make 2018 the year of The Big Scoop!
Follow Dogs Trust
Follow us on Twitter: @DogsTrust_IE
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Dog
Follow us on Instagram: dogstrust_ire
Follow us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/ DogsTrustIreland
Health Implications
Dog Poo can make people sick as it can contain nasty bacteria such as E-coli and parasites like roundworm, the larvae of which can cause loss of vision.
Dog waste can also spread illness and disease to other dogs and wildlife.
Always use a Poo Bag or a scooping device and wash your hands when you get home.
Dog faeces are one of the most common carriers of the following:
Whipworms
Hookworms
Roundworms
Tapeworms
Parvo
Corona
Giardiasis
Salmonellosis
Cryptosporidiosis
Campylobacteriosis
It has been estimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million faecal coliform bacteria, which are known to cause cramps, diarrhoea, intestinal illness, and serious kidney disorders in humans.
1. Source: Woodhall, Dana, et al. “Ocular Toxocariasis: Epidemiologic, Anatomic, and Therapeutic Variations Based on a Survey of Ophthalmic Subspecialists.” Ophthalmology, vol. 119, no. 6, 2012, pp. 1211–1217., doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2011.12.0
2. Source: Mateus, Teresa, et al. “Multiple Zoonotic Parasites Identified in Dog Feces Collected in Ponte de Lima, Portugal—A Potential Threat to Human Health.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 11, no. 12, Jan. 2014, pp. 9050–9067., doi:10.3390/ijerph110909050.
B&A Survey 2017 found the following:
• 92% of dog owners (sample of 370) do pick up their dog’s poo.
• 68% of (999) surveyed claim they often witness dog walkers not cleaning up after their dog.
• 53% also indicated that there is a big problem with dog fouling in their area.
• 7 in 10 claimed to have walked in dog waste on the street, 60% in a park, 44% walked dog poo in to the house unbeknownst to themselves, 43% came across dog poo in the local children’s park, 24% rolled a buggy through dog waste, 20% rolled a bicycle through it, 10% rolled their wheelchair through it.
Dogs Trust Ireland
Dogs Trust has been working in Ireland since 2005 and its mission is to bring an end to the destruction of stray and abandoned dogs through a national responsible dog ownership campaign, including a subsidised neutering and microchipping campaign and an education programme.
There are currently 154 dogs and puppies awaiting their forever homes.
Dogs Trust is working towards the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction.
Dogs Trust has a non-destruction policy; we never destroy a healthy dog.
The Centre is based at:
Dogs Trust Dublin Rehoming Centre
Ashbourne Road
Finglas
Dublin 11
