Let us know if you have a dog poo problem in your area?

Residents of West Dunbartonshire are being asked to get involved in the Council’s ‘Do the Right Thing’ campaign by nominating the areas they believe are the worst dog poo ’blackspots’.

The Council will use the information to help focus its resources on  tackling dog fouling where residents believe it is needed most, and continue our commitment to challenge disgusting dog owners who don't clean up after their pets.

At the start of the "Do the Right Thing" campaign, the Council identified several areas where dog fouling is a particular problem. These are Haldane, Old and New Bonhill, Tullichewan, Milton Estate in Jamestown, Bellsmyre, Westcliff, Castlehill, Silverton, Whitecrook, Drumry, North Kilbowie, Yokermill Road and Old Kilpatrick.

Since the campaign kicked off, many local people have been in touch to nominate other problem areas.  The most complained-about areas will be added to the Council's list of blackspots, which will be the focus of extra patrols, leaflet drops, campaign banners and possibly extra litter bins.

Councillor David McBride, Convener for Housing, Environment and Economic Development, said: "Our officers have identified some of West Dunbartonshire's very worst areas for dog fouling, but local residents have already been telling us about other places where the problem is also bad. If dog poo is ruining the streets, parks or green spaces in your area, and it isn't already on our list of hotspots, get in touch on 01389 772059 and our Greenspace Team will investigate. You can also nominate a dog fouling blackspot on the Council's Facebook and Twitter pages. There are plenty of things the Council and the local community can do to challenge the minority of bad owners who won't "Do the Right Thing."

Councillor Lawrence O'Neill, Depute Convener for Housing, Environment and Economic Development, added: "One of the biggest excuses people use  for not picking up dog mess is that there are not enough bins. In fact, there are 850 bins across West Dunbartonshire - that's 450more than five years ago - so you should never have to walk too far to find one. It's not just red poo bins you can use -you can throw your bagged dog poo into any litter bin or put it in your own wheelie bin. Even if there isn't a bin handy, leaving the poo behind for children to step in is just disgusting and unacceptable."

If you have any information that could help identify dog owners who are breaking the law by not picking up their pet's poo, you can contact the Greenspace team on 01389 772059.  Remember, dog owners who break the law face a £40 fixed penalty.