- 86 per cent of Irish residents say dog mess is an issue in their area
- Two-thirds admit they have not picked up their pooch’s mess in public
- Wormpatrol heads to the Irish Ploughing Championship to educate local dog owners
Dog mess is a big bugbear for many people, but new research released today from www.wormpatrol.co.uk reveals that over nearly two-thirds of dog owners in Ireland (63 per cent) admit they have let their pet make a mess in public and then not cleaned up afterwards*.
Over half (55 per cent) admit they do so when ‘no one is looking,’ whilst a brazen 35 per cent say they let their dog make a mess and don’t clean up – even when others can see. Three-quarters of people in Ireland who witnessed an owner not clean up their dog’s mess chose not to confront the owner (73 per cent).
When asked about their attitude to irresponsible dog owners, 10 per cent said they would rather pick the mess up themselves than confront an owner – something only 29 per cent would do. The majority (56 per cent) said they would do nothing.
The research coincides with the Wormpatrol Road Show visiting Ireland for the National Ploughing Championship. The centre-piece of the tour is Chewy – a 3 metre tall dog – who is helping spread the word about responsible pet ownership and the importance of regular worming.
The visit appears to be much needed – 86 per cent of dog owners in Ireland say that dog mess is an ‘issue’ in their area and 63 per cent say they see dog mess left by owners ‘every’ or ‘nearly every’ time they walk their own dog.
Not only is dog mess unsightly and extremely unpleasant if trodden on, but there are hidden dangers which can impact humans – namely worms – with 23 per cent of those from Ireland unaware that dogs can spread worms to humans. Information which becomes more pertinent when considered that numerous studies show that there are high levels of worm contamination in sandpits, parks and playgrounds.
Less than half of dog owners in Ireland (42 per cent) say they worm their pet as often as every three months, which is the minimum frequency recommended by experts.
Kingsley Baxendale, from Wormpatrol.co.uk commented: “We are a nation of animal lovers and man’s best friend soon becomes an integral part of the family. However, there is a real lack of awareness amongst many when it comes to the risk worms can pose to humans. The prevalence of roundworms at playgrounds and sandpits means families with dogs and young children should be particularly vigilant.
“A really basic step owners can take is to simply clean up after their dog, especially in public places. We understand that you can get caught short without a poo bag whilst out and about so to help pet owners, we are giving away poo bag lead holders to Britain and Ireland’s pet owners this summer.”
For more information on how to get worm wise, including how to protect your dog and family from the risk of worms, as well as further detail on Chewy’s Roadshow visit www.wormpatrol.co.uk