Over 1,000 complaints about dog fouling reported in Northumberland

Numbers increased from 829 between March 2022 and 2023 to 1,028, marking Northumberland as one of the most prolific areas when it comes to complaints. 

Despite the growing number of complaints across the UK, fewer people are being served fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for not clearing up after their dogs. Just 1,006 fixed penalty notices were issued between March 2023 and March 2024 - 147 fewer than the previous year.

However, this wasn't the case in Northumberland, as the number of FPNs doubled from eight to 16. 

No data on the number of dog bins was provided for Northumberland. 

Only 15 councils across the UK registered more complaints about dog fouling across the total two-year period, with Northumberland County Council registering 1857 complaints in total. 

Read more: 

Northumberland County Council help to save neglected dog, as owner is forced to carry out unpaid work for two years.

Figures or dog fouling fines issued by the county council in the west of Northumberland have been revealed over the last five years. 

Beth Nash, chief of doggy happiness at Vitasure, said: "We’re a nation of dog lovers, and the last few years have really cemented that; there are now almost double the number of dogs in the UK as there were in 2011, with more families welcoming our four-legged friends into our homes. However, that is no excuse for us seeing such huge - and growing - numbers of complaints for dog fouling on both private and public property.

"The sheer volume of complaints is worrying for everyone. We know that dog waste can pose serious health risks - specifically to children - while also spoiling the environment. But with such low levels of prosecution, the worry is, these numbers could further increase year on year. It really is on the councils to provide dog owners with the facilities to dispose of their dog’s waste safely, while also deterring owners from leaving waste on public and private land."