Martyn Jones

Labour Party | Clwyd South

"Grab it, Bag it and Bin it" says Martyn Jones MP

MP urges Clwyd South pet owners to get involved in clean up campaign

MARTYN JONES MP today urged dog owners in Clwyd South to clean up while walking their dogs by backing The Dogs Trust's "Grab it, Bag it and Bin it" campaign during National "Poop Scoop" week and asked local pet owners to let him know about Dog fouling blackspots that need to be cleaned up under new laws on Dog mess.

Commenting on the campaign, MARTYN JONES MP said:

"I'm backing the Dog's Trust's National Poop Scoop week.  I'm supporting this campaign here by urging local Dog owners to 'GRAB IT, BAG IT AND BIN IT'.

"Dog fouling is a serious issue.  With some six million dogs in the UK it's not difficult to see why. From parks to streets, dog mess can be a danger to health as well as to quality of life.

"Dog mess is unsightly, but it's also unhealthy. Dog waste is not only an extremely unpleasant and unwelcome commodity it is also the perfect breeding ground for bacteria (Campylobacter and Salmonella) and other forms of infection. These can lead to serious illnesses for children, even blindness.

"That's why I've voted in Parliament to give local councils more power to clean up our streets. Those measures are now law.  Thanks to the new laws, council officers in all the local authorities serving the Clwyd South area now have the power to fine dog owners up to £50 for allowing their pets to foul streets and parks. Even larger fines can be used for persistent offenders - and the money can be used for street wardens and to provide facilities for the disposal of dog mess.

"Most pet owners are responsible and clean up first, but we need to deal with the minority. These tough new measures are getting results. The latest independent survey by the Tidy Britain group showed that dog fouling was down 27%, but there's a long way to go.

"That's why I'm urging the responsible dog owners of Clwyd South to clean up after their pets and to let me know about dog fouling blackspots that need to be cleaned up."

Dog owners can help make Clwyd South cleaner and safer by taking three simple steps

• GRAB IT - Always keep a supply of plastic bags near your dog's lead so you don't forget to take a poop scoop bag with you on every walk. Simply insert your hand in the plastic bag and pick up your dogs waste. It's easy and not as bad as you think.
• BAG IT - Carefully turn the plastic bag inside out and your dogs mess will then be 'bagged'.
• BIN IT - Dispose of your bag in a 'Poop' bin. Contrary to popular belief, dog waste can also be put into a public litterbin if a specific dog wastebin is not available.