A new campaign has been launched by Lake District bosses to urge dog walkers to pick up after their pets.
There has been an increase in people leaving their dog’s waste behind and Leave Only Pawprints hopes to remind owners to pick it up and dispose of it responsibly.
In a series of short films and signs, Lake District canine residents Milo, Snoop and Nala will be telling their human parents some facts about how dangerous dog fouling can be to their other four-legged Lake District friends.
Lake District National Park Authority area ranger Marian Jones, said: “It’s unfortunate that we have to highlight this problem, but the instances of dog fouling within the National Park seem to be higher than we’ve seen before.
“People tend to think that if they are out on the fells their dog’s waste will act as fertiliser as they see sheep and cow faeces on their travels. This couldn’t be further from the truth and in fact it is extremely dangerous for other animals. It can even cause pregnant sheep to abort.
“We’ve also seen an increase in people who have picked up their dog’s waste and bagged it and then attached it to a tree or fence. It takes up to a year for a biodegradable bag to disintegrate and I’m sure that I’m not alone in saying it’s not a nice way to decorate the Lake District.”
The new Lake District National Park awareness campaign is a reminder that there are no bins out on the fells and asks visitors to take all litter, including dog waste, home and leave the landscape you love exactly as you found it.
The Leave Only Pawprints campaign is part of the wider Lake District Kind campaign and consists of short films for social media alongside other content, an email newsletter, blog, and temporary signage which will be rolled out throughout the summer in key areas.
