Dog Fouling and Responsible Dog Ownership

It is an offence for anyone in charge of a dog to allow it to foul in any public place (see below for descriptions of public places). Please clean up after your dog.  Read our Dog Fouling FAQs.

Report dog fouling

Bag it and Bin it

Please be a responsible dog owner – take a poop scoop or plastic bag with you every time you take your dog for a walk. Clean up immediately after your dog has fouled any public place, then bag it and bin it.

If there isn’t a dog waste bin, you can put your poop scoop in any suitable litter bin, or alternatively take it home and deposit it in your refuse bin. Be aware that failure to clean up may result in a fixed penalty fine. It is also a criminal offence not to provide your name and address when requested to by an officer authorised under The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 .

Dog Fouling Legislation

The main piece of legislation covering dog fouling is The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 . The Act makes it an offence for any person in charge of a dog not to immediately pick up and dispose of its fouling in an appropriate manner. This legislation applies to all areas of public open space, including:

• children's play areas
• pavements, footpaths and roads
• pedestrian precincts
• all grass verges
• parks and other recreational areas
• canal footpaths and cycle ways
• common areas, such as drying greens, back courts and stair closes
• any place which is open to the air to which the public or any section of the public has access

Under the Act, failure to clean up after your dog may result in you receiving a fixed penalty fine. The fixed penalty is currently £80..

If a dog fouling fixed penalty notice is not paid within the required period and a hearing has not been requested the fine is raised (currently to £100) and if not paid the matter is passed to Sheriff Officers for recovery of the debt.

The Act also removes the need for corroborative evidence in relation to dog fouling offences, and makes it an additional offence if you fail to give your name and address details to an authorised officer. If you are found guilty of this additional offence, you could face a fine of up to £1000.

It is not an excuse to be unaware of the dog committing the offence so make sure you know where your dog is at all times.