400 tonnes of dog '˜foul' collected yearly in Mid and East Antrim

But now the council is hounding the ‘small minority’ of rogue owners who allow their pets to make a mess without a single thought for others.

While the majority of dog walkers in the area are responsible owners dog fouling remains one of the most complained about environmental issues throughout the borough.

Chairman of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Operational Committee, Alderman John Carson, called on residents to play their part in keeping public areas clear of dog mess. However, there are still dog owners within our community who continue to flout legislation by failing to clean up after pets.

“We want to remind dog owners of their obligations and appeal to them to help us tackle the scourge of dog mess in our public spaces.

“We also want members of the public to contact us with any information regarding concerns they have about dog fouling. Every report or complaint council receives is investigated.”

Anybody who allows their dog to foul in public and fails to pick it up could be given an £80 on-the-spot fine. Failure to pay could result in court action.

Failing to clean up after your dog is littering and can cause disease and other health issues.

Dog walkers are urged to carry plastic bags or poop scoops to dispose of any mess when walking their pets.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is also appealing to residents to contact officers with any information regarding dog fouling problems.

Enforcement officers want to hear the location of the problem, when the issue is occurring and descriptions of the owners and dogs. All reports are dealt with in complete confidence.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Enforcement Officers received 307 dog fouling complaints in 2015/16 — eight percent of all total service requests received by Environmental Health.

If you have any queries or wish to report an issue, please contact the Borough Warden at Mid and East Antrim Environmental Health Office on 0300 124 5000.