'Grab it, bag it, bin it' is the message North Lanarkshire Council, Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Dogs Trust is issuing to dog owners during National Poop Scoop Week 23-27 June.

In a recent survey carried out by Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) 69% of people rated dog faeces as the item on our streets, parks and beaches that bothered them most.  So the Dogs Trust and KSB have joined forces with North Lanarkshire's Dog Warden service to encourage dog owners to help keep our public spaces clean for the summer.

On Tuesday 24 June between 11.00 am and 7.00 pm we are running an event at Drumpellier Country Park, Coatbridge. The country park will be red flagged to demonstrate the extent of the dog fouling problem.  Information leaflets and advice will be available to dog owners from the dog warden service, KSB and Dogs Trust as well as a free microchipping service, free poop scoops and dog fouling bags.

Poop Scoop week is all about persuading people to take three important steps towards reducing the problem of dog fouling in Scotland:

1. GRAB IT - Always keep a supply of bags near your dog's lead so you don't forget to take them with you on every walk. Simply insert your hand in the bag and pick up your dogs waste.
2. BAG IT - Carefully turn the bag inside out and 'bag' your dog's mess.
3. BIN IT - Dispose of the bag in a bin. Dog waste can be put in a public litter bin ifa specific dog waste bin is not provided

Robert Steenson, Environmental Health Manager with North Lanarkshire Council, said, "Dog mess in our parks, streets or any other public ground is unsightly and causes offence to many people. This council is working closely with the Dogs Trust during National Poop Scoop Week to highlight this important issue.

"This council takes a very firm stance against dog owners who allow their dogs to foul and who fail to clean it up.  Over 450 fixed penalty notices have been issued and we will continue to issue these notices to irresponsible dog owners to put across the message that it is completely unacceptable to allow their pets to foul and then not clear up.

"Any resident dog owner looking for a poop scoop or dog fouling bags, wanting their dogs micro chipped free of charge, or  any resident encountering a specific problems concerning dog fouling then our Dog Warden service can help. We provide all our Dog Warden services for free and I would encourage all our dog owners to take advantage of this."