Where Edinburgh ranks in UK chart for dog fouling complaints covering 200 councils
The latest figures for dog fouling complaints in the UK show where Edinburgh ranks out of 200 council areas across the country.
New research from Bubblegum Search, a UK digital PR agency specialising in pet brands, reveals that Edinburgh is the second-highest UK council for dog fouling complaints in 2024, with 50.4 complaints per 10,000 residents and 2,637 complaints reported.
Despite the high number of complaints, just two fines were issued, totalling £160, highlighting a gap between public concern and enforcement.
The study highlights significant variation across the country, not only in complaints but also in enforcement, with some councils issuing fines for dog fouling and others recording none. Councils recorded anywhere from more than 2,000 complaints in Telford & Wrekin and Edinburgh, to as few as 180 complaints in Merthyr Tydfil.
To carry out this study, Freedom of Information (FOI) data was collected from more than 200 UK councils, covering dog-fouling complaints and fines issued. The most recent complete year, 2024 was used.
Population figures were sourced from the Office for National Statistics (England and Wales), the National Records of Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. All indicators were normalised per 10,000 residents to enable fair comparison between councils of different sizes.
Telford & Wrekin Council in the West Midlands has been revealed as the UK’s dog fouling complaints capital, with residents lodging 109.2 complaints per 10,000 people, more than twice the rate of second-placed Edinburgh.
Durham County Council is third with 44.6 complaints per 10,000 residents, despite issuing a higher number of fines than the top two councils.
Blaenau Gwent leads among Welsh councils with 43.2 complaints per 10,000 residents and 12 fines issued. While, Antrim & Newtownabbey in Northern Ireland is fifth, with 39.2 complaints per 10,000 residents, but issued no fines.
North Ayrshire Council is the only other Scottish council in the top 10, placing ninth, with 29.5 complaints per 10,000 residents and 395 complaints reported in total in 2024 about dog fouling.
Matt Cayless, founder of Bubblegum Search, said: “The differences between councils are substantial. Telford & Wrekin’s complaint rate being more than double Edinburgh’s highlights the wide variation across the UK. Some councils record thousands of complaints while others report only a few hundred, even within the same region.
“For dog owners, the message is clear. Picking up after your pet is both a legal requirement and part of responsible ownership. Reducing dog fouling requires co-operation from everyone and protects public health, especially for children.”
Scottish figures are provisional pending official revision. Incomplete or inconsistent datasets were excluded from analysis. Councils reporting zero complaints but non-zero fines were also removed from relevant rankings to preserve data integrity.