Don’t Let Your Dog Cause Disease

Dog fouling is not just unpleasant, it can be a health hazard. Shipston Town Council is calling on all dog owners to clean up after their pets as part of its Proud of My Town campaign. It is illegal to allow your dog to foul public ground, be it a road, bridleway, footpath or field. Dog faeces often contains the roundworm toxocara which can cause the serious infection, toxocariasis, in humans. According to information produced by ENCAMS (now the Keep Britain Tidy campaign), toxocara eggs are not infectious until they embryonate, which is usually two to three weeks after they have been deposited by a dog. It is therefore safer to clean up after a dog immediately, but leaving mess lying…