I regularly cycle and walk in Ponteland using the pavements, cycle tracks and other footpaths. Despite all the efforts of the council to provide Dog Poo bins, there remains a small number of dog users who have no intention of cleaning up after their dogs. This week alone I have seen a dog owner who was a runner and whilst their dog fouled the track behind them and they literally ran away. (It is not so cool to be running with a bag of poo!!!).I have seen another owner exercising his dog in the children's play park, despite the variety of other places nearby that dogs can be exercised. I have see an amazing amount of anonymous poo covered in flies almost everywhere alongside tracks and pavement where people walk and cycle.
This fouling can cause Toxocariasis and be really dangerous to humans but especially to children. They are more likely to explore in these areas without washing hands etc. The poo is also picked up easily on prams and cycles making access to it much easier for children.
Toxocariasis can be picked up easily and if infected can cause very serious disease. It is an infection of humans caused by the dog roundworm Toxocara Canis and humans can also can be infected by the cat roundworm toxocara cati although this is not so common. Other than human contact and ingestion flies can also carry the disease to food etc.
Please dog owners clean up after your dog. It is really important for our health.
L.Bailey via email
