Dog poo bins in Perth and Kinross are being dumped.
The surprise move emerged in a survey of how well served Courier country communities are with dedicated bins to dump doggie waste.
Dog fouling is a big issue in virtually every town and village.
So with the Scottish council elections now on our doorstep we asked local councils how many dog waste bins they have and how often they are emptied.
And news the red poo bins are being taken away in Perth and Kinross has been a shock.
It’s been met with a reaction similar to accidentally standing in a pile someone hasn’t picked up.
Dog walking businesses fear it will add to the already out of control issue of poo-filled bags just being left on the ground by irresponsible owners.
What your councils told us
We asked our four local authorities for a poo bin count and emptying regime.
It follows the revelation less than half of pet owners in Tayside and Fife are paying fines for not picking up dog poo – with one even giving false details to escape punishment.
Angus
Angus Council was the only authority to give a breakdown of dedicated doggie bins.
They said: “All public bins in Angus can be used for the disposal of dog faeces – that currently comprises of 877 dual-purpose litter bins and 591 dog poo bins.
“The frequency with which they are emptied varies according to usage.
“We welcome any input from our communities that highlights where they feel a bin might be better located.”
And the council added: “All dog owners should be responsible and clean up after their pet.
“Not to do so is an offence and they can be issued with a fixed penalty notice of £80, rising to £100 if not paid within 28 days, or the offence can be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
“We also encourage people to report any incidents of dog fouling to us at the earliest opportunity. This can be done using our online reporting service.”
Dundee
Dundee City Council said: “There are nearly 1,500 dog waste bins across Dundee on four collection routes that span the eight council wards.
“Bins are emptied up to three times a week, depending on location.
“Dog owners can also dispose of their pet’s waste in general litter bins as well.”
Fife
Fife Council said: “There are nearly 900 dog bins across Fife. The majority are emptied weekly but frequency varies.”
Perth and Kinross
P&K Council said: “There are 1,300 litter bins in the Perth and Kinross area, all of these litter bins can be used to dispose of dog poo.
“Dedicated dog poo bins are in the process of being phased out across the area.”
As a follow-up, the council was asked how many red bins they had and when the decision was taken to phase them out. It did not respond.
Decision already causing a stink
Two Perth dog walking firms were completely unaware of the decision.
And they say it is a backward step.
Fran Owen has operated Walk in the Park for six years.
She has suggested binning the red boxes is a disaster.
“If anything I think there should be more dog poo bins, not less,” said Fran.
“So to take them away completely is the wrong decision, in my view.
“I’m in a dog walking group chat and this hasn’t been mentioned.
“If it had come up I think it’s definitely something we would have been talking about.”
Businesses get bad name
She says dog walking businesses are already wrongly blamed for not picking up after pets they are looking after.
“We sometimes get quite a bad name but, if anything, it is us who are picking up poo bags left by other dog walkers.
“If I see a bag I’ll pick it up and take it to the nearest bin.
“In some of the popular areas there are a good number of poo bins, but you can never have too many.”
And she says general litter bins need to be clearly signed.
“If the bin isn’t marked as being able to take dog poo, it puts me off,” said Fran.
“I wouldn’t want someone to see me putting a bag in a bin that doesn’t have a sticker and thinking I’m just doing it because I can’t be bothered to take it to a poo bin.”
Naomi Steelant set up Off the Leash in 2016.
She agrees dog walking businesses come in for unfair flak from folk who think they don’t pick up.
“If I ever see any waste I just pick it up and either put it in the bin or, if there isn’t one, I take it home with me and bin it there.
“But I think the situation is bad enough as it is without taking all the dog bins away.
“I don’t think that is a good idea.
“And I haven’t heard about it. I’m sure if people had been told that they would have had something to say.”
