Would you believe it? 1,000 TONNES of dog poop is produced every year – as estimated by the Keep Britain Tidy campaign!!!! That’s a lot of poop, isn’t it!!!
We all know it’s the law to pick up your dog poop. You can be fined up to £80 or even up to £1000 if taken to court for failure to collect your dog’s poop. Our local councils work out what areas in their patch are covered by the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) – but normally will include roads, pavements & public footpaths, parks & green spaces, town centres & shopping precincts, car parks, playing fields, playgrounds & school grounds. The reason is……….poop is nasty and can sometimes contain small worms that cause Toxocariasis in humans. This infection can lead to dizziness, nausea, asthma and potentially blindness & or seizures.
Scary yes but it is also incredibly serious for our livestock too. Two diseases of main concern for farmers are Neosporosis and Sarcocystosis from parasite-infected dog poop. These diseases can cause abortions in cattle and neurological disease & death in sheep. Contamination is a 2-stage cycle where a dog eats material containing the parasites, poops and passes the parasites onto pasture, animal feed, water or bedding for livestock – which the livestock subsequently ingest. There are no vaccines.
We are all good at picking it up in areas covered by the PSPO but what do we do when we’re out and about on our walking adventures with the lovely Ju and our pooches? Across those heavenly fields and by-ways in the middle of nowhere?
Do you Stick & flick? Do you pick & carry?
A pet hate of mine is when poop has been collected in a bag and then thrown in a hedge or left on the verge!
Well, I use a Dicky Bag & carry – and have a guess why they’re called Dicky bags (answer at end of article)!!
These are marvellous inventions. In the words of the geniuses that invented these – they are “a great looking lightweight container with odour prevention for those awkward plastic bags of dog poo…. And a store for fresh ones too”. They come in various sizes, are made from Neoprene, have a storage compartment in the lid for clean poop bags and have a handy belt loop or clip so you can attach it to yourself or your dog’s lead. (NB – Mine hangs of the handle of LJ’s lead). Prices vary according to size & colour but start from around £25. 
They are also incredibly handy for those of us who are wild campers – who leave no trace. Instead of digging a hole when the daily abolitions start – use a poop bag and pop in Dicky for safe carriage till you find a suitable bin! Nobody will be none the wiser!!! Also handy if you’re caught short too! It happens – or is that just me…………..
There is a huge variety of poop bags too – my favourites are Beco super strong mint scented poop bags – available at most pet shops and amazon. Prices start from approx. £3.50 for 60 on Amazon. The reason I like these – other than the fresh minty smell – is they are big, they are leakproof & tear resistant (urrggghhhhh not worth thinking about is it!), and use recycled packaging. 10/10 for me.
Therefore, to minimise the risk of spreading these nasty diseases, remember:
- Pick up poop from dogs when they are on agricultural land – especially grazing land. Use your sturdy Beco bag, tie a knot and pop in Dicky for safe transport till you see a dog poop bin.
- Don’t let your dog eat dead animals or animal material when out & about! I think that covers quite a few other nasty things they can pick up too, to be honest.
- If you feed your dog raw meat – make sure the food is parasite free. Go to a reputable vendor and don’t be afraid to ask questions about the origin of ingredients.
Dicky bags are named as such – according to their website (dickybag.com) – “Good old fashioned Cockney rhyming slang. Ever heard of a Richard the third?” The guys at Dicky wanted a name for the bag that holds poop and poop bags & thought a Richard Bag “a little formal for our mascot so shortened it to Dicky and never looked back”. Love it!!
Thank you for reading today’s article.
Louise James, Momentum Clinical Canine Massage
