Dogsey

I'd like some solid research that the dog poop causes truly harmful effects on cattle etc. To me it sounds like some lazy dog owners have simply caused some farmers to get angry about it. I'm not sure I believe the bit about it causing birth defects etc.

As far as I know, in the wild... poop from all kinds of animals is all over the place and there are not as many issues in birth in the wild than with domesticated animals. So yeah... dog owners DO need to clean up after their pets, but not sure it's causing all those problems.

Also, passing and being able to maintain a law like this is going to be nearly impossible. Same as B.S.L. you just cannot keep a close enough eye on these things to truly be able to keep it down enough for the law to have an effect.

Our dog parks say you MUST clean up after your pet, but there is often random poo in random places each time we go. Also, it counts only as littering if you're caught by the police that are (never) out there, and you get this silly little fine (or given a warning).

Me too mjfromga. Although very unpleasant and I am all for clearing up after our dogs, there is a load of exaggerated nonsense talked about the dangers of worms contracted from dog poo ... there are less than 10 cases per annum of such cases in both the child and adult population that can be attributable to dog poo.

Having said that, just the opposite seems to be the case with cow poo. We exercise Ben sometimes on Borough Hill, where until recently a herd of in calf heifers were grazed. This is an area of public recreation accessible to horse riders, dog walkers etc. It is of course covered with cow pats which although we don't allow Ben to eat, he does of course walk on and through and then will ingest said poo when grooming himself. He gets very ill periodically, such that he goes off his food, becomes very lethargic and is just not himself. We give him a full dose of Panacur wormer and this puts him back on his feet. Clearly, he is picking something up from the cow poo ... worms, giardia, we know not what, but all we do know is that he gets very ill approximately every 6 weeks, so we have stopped going up there now, which is a great shame because it is lovely up there and very handy for us.

Now, I am not being anti farmer here, I am just stating facts. Provided the dogs are wormed, I cannot see why the cattle should suffer any consequences from dog poo on their grazing. However, as a matter of courtesy, good manners and husbandry, it would be nice to encourage people to pick up, but where the fields are strewn with livestock poo, I really cannot see it being enforceable.

Dogs off the lead around livestock are another issue of course.

Yup! Agree wholeheartedly Gnasher. I really do not think the dog poo is causing the "disease and abortions" the article said it's causing. REALLY do not think so.

It did not even mention worms, but used the generic term "disease" and also said it caused problems with breeding. Those are just farmers crapping bricks (pun intended) because dog poop is all over the place and trying a WEE bit too hard IMO.

YES, we all agree that you really should pick up your dog poop after he goes... but frankly it's nature and I HIGHLY doubt the dog poop is causing serious health problems for the cattle.

There is also NO WAY to enforce these sorts of laws so I think it's time wasted in all seriousness. I mean I bid them good luck as we do need to clean up after our pets, but I do not think that they will come anywhere close to succeeding.

Poor Ben, BTW. Worms do not usually cause a dog to go off their food etc. Neither does Giardia, usually. Just causes mushy poop and whatnot most of the time. So really not sure what he's picking up out there. Perhaps it just some rotten bacteria that gives him a tummy ache.

EDIT:

Added to say that bit about off lead dogs should have been omitted as it is not relevant at all and leads me to think they are exaggerating all the way around.

There was an article on Country File recently, where one of the presenters (Adam-who IS a farmer by the way) was saying his cows had picked something up from HIS own dogs poo, don't remember what it was now, but I think the cows who got it failed to conceive due to damage to their reproductive systems, and they went for slaughter

I remember that June.

I really don't understand why people find it so hard to clean up after their dogs.

I do not understand that either Lynn. Pereg does not poo when we are out but I always have poo bags in the basket just in case. Little One always deposited a small offering when out and all I had to do was shift from the seat and sit on the footplate to pick it up, so what excuse do some people have for not just bending down?

It's second nature to me to pick up so I do it in the woods, on agricultural land anywhere they go. My husband always laughs and says he wouldn't bother as no one else does but luckily I always have the bags with me so it is done anyway.

I never understand why it doesn't become second nature to everyone.

What's the problem? If you have a dog, carry dog poo bags (or any old bags) and pick up after your dog when it defecates. Keep everyone happy. And no need for national debate! Can't understand a big debate or research needed just because (some) would prefer not to pick up after their dogs.

One thing I did find interesting in a link from the article is the HUGE INCREASE in numbers of dog attacks on livestock in recent years.

When I lived near Hayle in Cornwall and used to enjoy wandering about the famous dunes there with my dog, there were signs everywhere telling you to pick up after your dog because if enough dog poo is left there, it enriches the soil and upsets the natural balance of what grows there in the wild. None of us want that to happen (do we?)

Methinks the attitudes of some who think their dogs should be allowed to roam wherever they want, be offlead wherever they choose and even sh1t where they want and leave it there if the owner considers it not to present a problem is going to result in even more draconian anti dog laws in the UK. Then they can moan about that as well.

I remember that programme to , I don't understand why some have to have such an attitude of disbelief .

Pick your dog poo up, it's simple, how would you like someone walking their dog over your land/ garden and leaving all their mess for you to deal with.

Whether the farmers exaggerate the problem or not. It's their prerogative. It's their land after all.

Gnahser, one child or adult that is blinded by infected dog mess is one to many ...does it have to be in double or triple figures for you to take it seriously ...