Edinburgh named as worst place in UK for dog fouling after analysis of data from councils across country

Scotland’s three other major cities are also in top ten for dog fouling complaints and fines

Edinburgh has been named the worst place in the UK for dog fouling over the past decade.

An analysis of data from councils across the country put the Capital at the top of the dog mess table with a total of 23,803 dog fouling service requests, fines and reports. And Edinburgh also has the highest number of dog fouling service requests, fines and reports so far in 2023 - with an average of around 142 per month, up by almost 32 per cent from 10 years ago, when the monthly average was around 107.

The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests by pet insurance company Everypaw, showed Manchester as the second worst place for dog fouling over the 10 years 2013-22 and Sunderland third. Glasgow came in fourth, Dundee fifth and Aberdeen ninth.

Cleaning up in Edinburgh's Pilrig Park - a survey has found Edinburgh is the worst place in the UK for dog fouling.

Everypaw said it had sent FoI requests to all 230 city, district and borough councils in the UK. They had received 185 responses and used the data to map the 25 worst place in the UK.

A spokesperson for Everypaw Pet Insurance said: “Taking care of a dog is a significant responsibility, and one of the most important duties any owner will have is taking them for daily walks. We hope by highlighting the worst dog fouling spots in the UK, more people are encouraged to pick up after their dogs and keep the environment clean while enjoying walks with their furry friends.”

A breakdown of the Edinburgh figures shows a total of 15,603 dog fouling requests to the council's street cleansing section over the decade, as well as 6,025 to street enforcement, 132 reports sent to the procurator fiscal and 366 fixed penalty notices issued.

Edinburgh’s total figure of 23,803 was more than double second-placed Manchester’s 11,765 and dwarfed Glasgow’s 9,722, Dundee’s 8,282 and Aberdeen’s 5,393.

Keep Britain Tidy has estimated there are more than 8 million dogs in the UK producing more than 1,000 tonnes of mess every day in the UK alone. Online searches for ‘how to report dog fouling’ have risen by 29 per cent over the last three months and there has been a 50 per cent increase in searches for ‘reporting dog mess’ in the past year.

The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 Act, passed by the Scottish Parliament, places responsibility to clear up any waste on ‘the person in charge of the dog’. Failure to do so can lead to a fine of £80 via a fixed penalty notice, which increases to £100 if the fine is not paid within 28 days.

Transport and environment convener Scott Arthur said responsible dog owners would be ashamed and angry at the survey outcome. He continued: “The council makes it easy for residents to report dog fouling problems online and based on those reports it does target resources to where the problem is worst. In the last budget we invested an additional £3 million in street cleanliness. I hope that that, combined with the co-operation of the public, means we can start to improve the city for everyone.”