Is not picking up dog poop illegal in the UK?
Rylee Friesen
2025-06-04 21:30:43
Count answers: 2
Dog fouling is an environmental crime.
The law allows our Environmental Crime Enforcement Officers to give anyone seen not clearing up after their dog an on-the-spot fine called a fixed penalty notice (FPN).
The FPN is for £50, but if you are prosecuted in court for dog fouling you could receive a maximum fine of £1,000.
Alexie Orn
2025-05-26 11:39:02
Count answers: 4
In England and Wales, dog owners should clean up after their dog in public places - you can report dog fouling that isn't cleaned up, to your local council. The penalty for not clearing up dog fouling can be up to £1,000 if taken to court, but there is also provision for a fixed penalty scheme with a fine of £50 in England. Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, owners who regularly allow their dogs to foul in public places would be committing anti-social behaviour. The range of remedies under the act such as injunctions, community protection notices and orders and fixed penalty notices could be used against them. Fouling in Northern Ireland, it is an offence for the owner of a dog not to clear up after their dog if it has left faeces on publicly accessible land. The penalty is up to £500. The fixed penalty rate is £50. In Scotland, The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 section 48 makes it an offence to allow a dog to foul a footpath, local authority grass verge, a local authority pedestrian precinct or any local authority maintained recreation or sports ground. The fine is up to £500. Exceptions to the offence are: The person in charge of the dog has a reasonable excuse for not clearing up. The owner or occupier of the land has consented to the faeces being left. The person puts the faeces in a bin on the land. The person in charge of the dog has a registered visual impairment.
Madaline Prohaska
2025-05-26 08:59:00
Count answers: 5
It is illegal to leave dog poo in a public area, as not only is it unpleasant, it can also be dangerous. Failing to clear up after your dog could land you with a £100 fine. Fines for uncollected dog mess vary between constituencies, but dog owners could receive a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100 on the spot if they have not cleared up their dog's mess. According to the Dog Fouling Act of 2016, responsibility lies with "the person in charge of the dog" at the time of the incident. Despite common belief, it's not possible to get out of paying a fine if the dog doesn't belong to you— you would still be liable for any fines if you fail to clean up after them. Refusing to pay up can land you with a day in court, and a £1000 fine. One woman was fined £1,000 for failing to adequately remove dog poo from her garden, although such cases are very rare. However, you can avoid getting a fine if you leave dog mess in areas used for agriculture or woodland. The law also doesn’t apply to rural common land, marshland, or motorways.
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- What can you do if your neighbor doesn't pick up dog poop?
- How do people get fined for not picking up dog poo?