DOG OWNERS SHOULD be making more of an effort to clean-up after their pet, according to a new litter survey carried out by Dublin City Council.

66 per cent of those who live and work in the city believe it’s a problem.

By comparison, three-fifths of people believe discarded cigarette butts are bringing down Dublin’s standard of cleanliness. 58 per cent have a problem with chewing gum thrown in the street, while 17 per cent said more should be done to tackle graffiti.

It was also found that almost two in five dog owners don’t always clean up after their animal.

According to the survey:

• 66 per cent think dog litter is a problem
• 34 per cent have a dog
• 49 per cent think the dog litter problem is getting worse
• 10 per cent admit to rarely or never cleaning up after their dog

The release of the findings coincides with the launch of a council awareness campaign on the issue today.

A statement from the council says that while it does enforce dog litter byelaws, “the extent and nature of the problem mean litter wardens can only be one part of the solution”.

Dublin City Council currently has 20 litter wardens and 2 dog wardens. It says it has distributed around 400,000 free “pooper scooper” bags to help tackle the problem.

According to Hugh Coughlan of Dublin City Council’s Waste Management Services: “Things can only improve when attitudes change. Our message is that not cleaning up after your dog is unacceptable and is a health hazard. Your dog is your responsibility so clean up after it”.

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