A new campaign aiming to tackle the problem of dog mess was launched on June 8th by Herefordshire Council and its community partners.

A range of council representatives and its community partners including schools, vets, pet owners, anti-littering groups and West Mercia Police, gathered on Great Western Way, Hereford, to mark the launch of the campaign, with the aim of encouraging owners to pick up after their dogs.

A new Public Space Protection Order for dog control came into effect in March 2018. Council enforcement officers travel to locations throughout the county taking action against the minority of dog owners who do not keep their dogs under control or clean up after their pets.

And people can now report dog mess themselves via the Herefordshire Council website. By providing as much information as possible, this will help focus Enforcement appropriately, targeting problem areas.

The new campaign also incudes new signage to encourage owners to clean up after their dogs, which features illustrations designed by pupils of Holmer School.

Bag it, Bin it is just one element of Herefordshire Council’s wider campaign to encourage responsible dog ownership, including:

• Getting dogs and other pets microchipped

• Making sure dogs have a collar and ID tag

• Keeping dogs on a lead in public places

• Ensure dogs and other pets have regular check-ups with a vet

• Addressing noise pollution by minimising dog barking

The campaign will be rolled out to other communities across the county in the coming weeks.

Bag it, Bin it is part of Herefordshire Council’s Stop the Drop campaign to keep Herefordshire litter-free, clean and beautiful. To watch the video for Bag it, Bin it, visit their Youtube page.