Did you know that the average dog poos 152 pounds of solid waste each year?

Can you imagine what our streets would look like if all that waste was left out and never cleaned up?

Ellesmere Town Council is working hard with local people and businesses to reduce the amount of Dog Poo that is appearing on our streets in our town.

We need to bring this to the attention of Shropshire Council as much as possible, so that they understand the seriousness with which we take this problem. Residents and Visitors to the Town can be fined for leaving dog poo on the pavements, grass areas and roads. With so many bins around there is no reason for people not to pick up after themselves and some shops even provide dog poo bags for free.

Dog Poo is not only harmful to the environment it can also be harmful to us. One gram of dog poo can carry all sorts of worms, including whipworms, hookworms, roundworms; viruses such as parvoi, coronavirus; bacteria like salmonella, E. Coli and campylobacter; and parasites such as cryptosporidium, gardia and Toxocariasis. These can get into water sources through rain washing the waste into rivers and other water sources, or get on our hands and skin if we touch it accidentally.

Toxicariasis is one of the most worrying parasites for young children as it can cause blindness, and young children are the most at risk because of weaker immune systems and the fact that they are more likely to expose themselves by ingesting the eggs.

The Control of Dogs Ordinance (1992) applies to all public places and states that an offence is committed if a person in charge of a dog fails to clean up his faeces. That’s why councils have the authority to fine people for it.

So if you find dog poo lying in the street we are now asking you to report it directly to Shropshire Council using this link