Dog FoulingIt is illegal to allow your dog, or any dog you are in charge of, to foul the footpath or any other public place. Dog fouling is a nuisance and also a real danger, particularly to young children, and can cause serious illnesses such as toxocara.
Responsible dog owners clean up after their dog by using a bag or a poop scoop to remove their dog's mess and dispose of it safely. Southwark Council now provides dog mess bins in many of its parks and open spaces for the safe disposal of dog mess.
What can we all do about dog fouling?
Report it!
Please report any dog fouling incidents to us by  filling in a street cleaning request or calling 020 7525 5777.
What does Southwark Council do about dog fouling?
Cleaning and removal
We receive approximately 50 complaints about dog fouling each month. We aim to clean and remove dog fouling within 4 hours of it being reported to us. A dedicated clinical waste vehicle is used for this service.
We also provide special dog waste bins in many of our parks and other dog fouling hotspots. The bins are indicated by the sign pictured right. Many more of these have been added this year to help dog owners dispose of dog waste more easily and  hygienically.
Raising awareness
We have just launched a campaign called 'Flag the Poo' to shock owners into taking responsiblity for clearing up after their pets. We will be coming to a park near you to mark out an area and put a flag next to each mess. Staff will be on hand to encourage dog owners to sign pledges and all the mess will be cleared up at the end of the event.
In February 2006 we ran our first event in Dulwich Park. We flagged 68 poos within a 1000 square metre area.
Prosecutions and the law
We will prosecute people who persistently allow their dog to foul in parks, on footpaths or any other public area.
The Dog (Fouling on Land) Act 1996 states that if convicted, the person in charge of the dog at the time of the offence (not necessarily the owner) can face a fine of up to £1000. Southwark Council will issue a fixed penalty notice for a £75 fine to anyone who has failed to clean up after their dog. If you fail to pay the fine, we will take you to court.
Remember, it is illegal to allow your dog to foul the following areas:
- All footpaths, footways and roads maintained at public expense
- All grass verges, shrub beds and tree bases maintained at public expense
- All parks, play areas, cemeteries and leisure land owned and maintained by the council
- All parts of council owned housing estates including grassed areas, shrub areas, play areas, footpaths and roadways in common use, stairwells, balconies and walkways open to the air and all external areas to council owned public buildings
Ask the enforcement Team
Southwark's enforcement team know more about dog fouling than they'd like to! Here are the answers to some of the questions they gets asked most often.
Q. Is it ok if I make sure my dog fouls the side of the road instead of the footpath?
A. No! Dog fouling is not allowed on any public land, and that includes the roadside, gutter, pavement or kerb.
Q. Is dog fouling really such a big problem in Southwark?
A. Yes it is. Each year in Southwark alone it is estimated that our dogs produce over 64 tonnes of dog mess. Of this, around two tonnes is deposited on our public roads, footpaths and parks. All of this has to be cleared up at the tax payers' expense. So every time you pick up your dogs mess, you're actually saving public money!
Q. What steps do the council take to prosecuting offenders?
A. As the dog warden, I try to educate rather than prosecute, but sometimes there is no other option but to issue a fixed penalty notice for a £75 fine. If the fine is unpaid after 14 days, then the council can take you to court.
Contact us
Environmental enforcement
Tel: 020 7525 5777
environment@southwark.gov.uk
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