Worthing Dog Walkers Face £100 Fine For Not Picking Up Poo

Enforcement patrols are to visit dog poo hotspots to catch those allowing their pets to foul the Worthing countryside.

Worthing Borough Council officers will patrol locations where there have been reports of dog fouling and issue fines to irresponsible dog walkers caught leaving the waste to damage beauty spots.

Anyone caught dropping litter, which includes dog waste bags, will receive an on-the-spot fine of £75, while anyone caught not clearing up their dog's mess will receive a £100 fine.

Extra signs will also be put up, asking those with dogs to pick up after their pets and warning them that fouling will not be tolerated. There has been an increase in dog fouling in a number of areas across the borough.

The Council’s cleansing team makes 1,200 dog bin collections every week. In the six months to September they removed 97 tonnes of dog waste in Worthing - the weight of more than a dozen fully-grown elephants.

Cllr Vicki Wells, Worthing's Cabinet Member for the Environment, said:

“The vast majority of dog owners are incredibly responsible and look after their pets and clean up after them, including placing poo bags in the bins provided after their walk.

“However, there are some who refuse to do so and the result is dog poo on the ground or bags of poo discarded in bushes or hedgerows, which is completely unacceptable. 

“Parasites in dog poo pose significant health risks to both humans and livestock as well as other dogs.

“In addition to these welfare issues, there is an economic price to not picking up after your dog, as it costs a lot of money to clear the mess up and Worthing can do better.

“Failing to pick up after your dog is simply irresponsible and we want to highlight that with an increase in patrols, as well as reminding people that fines can and will be issued.”

There are a total of 320 dog bins across the borough, but residents should contact the Council if they believe additional bins are needed in a specific area.

To highlight the issue and raise awareness, councillors have volunteered to work with park rangers, enforcement officers and the dog wardens to clean up areas, armed with poop scoops and bags.

This Saturday, (November 12) Cllr Wells will be at Shepherds Mead with colleagues and Council officers from 10am to midday removing dog mess.

There are also clean-ups planned for Brooklands on December 10, Victoria Park on January 14, Highdown on February 11, and Rotary Rec and Hill Barn Rec on March 11.

As well as fouling, Public Spaces Protection Orders set out where in Worthing dogs must be kept on a lead, where they are prohibited and where walkers can have no more than six dogs per person.

Owners are also responsible for ensuring dogs do not cause a nuisance or harm other people or dogs, do not run off, jump up at others, run into traffic or injure other animals. 

Some authorised council officers can issue a fine of £100 for breaching the orders. 

If a fine is issued and then ignored, the case will be referred to the magistrates’ court, which could lead to a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record for those convicted.