Dog fouling

There are number of abandoned bags of dog poo appearing in and around Garvald.
Please clean up after your dogs – ‘bag it AND bin it’. Thank you.

Information about Dog fouling laws from the East Lothian Council website:

Who is responsible for cleaning up after dogs?

Under the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003, if you are in charge of a dog you must clear up after it – regardless of your age and whether or not you own the dog. You must pick up any fouling immediately and throw it away in a proper bin or take it home with you. Please note that picking up dog excrement in a bag and then leaving the bag lying around is still an offence. 

The Act applies to failure to “pick up” in any “public open place” apart from designated agricultural land. A “public open place” includes:

  • any place which is open to the air to which the public or any section of the public has access, on payment or otherwise, as of right or by virtue of express or implied permission; and
  • any common passage, close, court, stair, back green, garden, yard or other similar common area.

Excuses such as not knowing your dog has fouled or not having a bag with you to pick it up won’t be accepted by our wardens, and you will still be fined.