- Dangers of Dog Fouling
- What happens if I do not pick up after my dog fouls?
- How to make a dog fouling complaint.
- How do I pick up and dispose of my dog fouling
Dangers of dog fouling
Laois County Council endeavours to protect the public from the dangers of dog fouling. Not cleaning up after your pooch can have detrimental health consequences for the public especially young children.
Dogs are known to be carriers of campylobacter and other bacteria which can prove a health hazard to humans, but the main danger to health in dog faeces is the presence of the eggs of Toxocara Canis, or dog roundworm. Once in the human body the larvae of these eggs can cause extreme fever and illness and severe damage to organs.
Contact with infected dog faeces can cause loss of sight, with children especially at risk. Please make sure your pet does not become a source of tragedy for some other family. Clean up after your dog.
What happens if I do not pick up after my dog fouls?
If your dog poos in a public place, you, or the person in charge of the dog, must remove the poo and dispose of it in a proper and clean way. Otherwise, it is an offence.
If your dog poos in a public place and you don’t pick it up, you can get a €150 on the spot fine.
Litter Enforcement Officers conduct foot patrols and will highlight that not cleaning up after your dog is subject to an On The Spot Litter Fine of €150. Signage highlighting this fact has been placed in various locations around the County.
How to make a dog fouling complaint
- Email your complaint to environadmin@laoiscoco.ie.
- Ring our Environmental Hotline on 1800 323 230. The Hotline is staffed during normal office hours. Messages left outside office hours will be dealt with during the next working day.
How do I pick up and dispose of my dog fouling?
Simply place a bag over the dog faeces and lift it whilst pulling the bag downwards with your other hand. Tie a knot in the bag and dispose of it in any public bin or take it home for disposal.
Laois County Council implement a ‘Bag it, Bin it’ policy, which means that dog foul materials may be placed in any public litter bin once it is bagged. If no bin is available, the owner should take the material home for appropriate disposal.
Laois county Council also provide several Mutt Mitt Stations where bags can be availed of free of charge. This initiative is done in conjunction with Laois Tidy Towns.
Responsible dog ownership
Laois County Council actively encourage and promote responsible dog ownership. Our Responsible Dog Ownership Booklet is a free guide on how to become a better dog owner and focuses on the importance of cleaning up dog fouling, dog control, dog licences/tags and identifies what you can do if you are troubled with excessive noise caused by dog barking.
Additional copies are also available at various Vet Surgeries and from the Environment Section.
Please view the video on responsible dog ownership from the Department of Rural & Community
Animal welfare/cruelty issues
For all animal welfare/cruelty issues contact either:
- ISPCA National Animal Helpline Number (All Animal Welfare Issues): 1890 515 515
- Dept. of Agriculture, Number (All Farm Animal Welfare Issues): 1850 211 990
Further information
For more information phone the environment section at 057 866 4000 or email environmentadmin@laoiscoco.ie