I felt the need to post this in my local Facebook group:

I’ve lived here for ‘only’ 13 years; in that time I’ve I’ve only once had to pick up dog poo* from our front garden or the path outside. Once. Today.

I’ve never previously had to worry about watching where I walk, and yet every time we go out now I see dog mess. (‘Best’ example is along the bushes both sides of [redacted] approaching [redacted].)

To those of you with new dogs, please:

– Carry some nappy bags with you every time you go for ‘walkies’. Pre-lockdown there was (and probably still is if you think about it) a legal requirement to carry at least 2 when you set out.

– Either drop the bags in the next bin you see or take them home with you. (Yes them, you might need more than one, appalling as it sounds. If you need 4 it’s classed as an epic!)

– Don’t leave the bag where your dog sat or dangling off a convenient branch; it’d be better to not pick it up at all (it’ll naturally biodegrade, but that’d be missing my point.)

One final thing: if you’re paying more than around 25p for 100 bog-standard nappy bags, though you’re not being ripped off it’s likely you’ve gone for the posh ones, the scented ones (very understandable sometimes!), the biodegradable ones, or the ones specifically made for dog poo. And that’s fine.

Actually no, this is my final word: don’t use not having bags as an excuse, leaving mess spreads diseases potentially fatal to dogs and actually harmful to humans too.

Quick Google result:

https://www.kingdom.co.uk/articles/issues-and-dangers-surrounding-dog-fouling/

Go on, carry your (dog’s) poo with public-spirited pride!

*I’d considered the possibility it might be a cat, but the size, no. No. Please no. (shudders)