Dog mess is top concern in Nithsdale

DOG fouling continues to be the number one concern for Nithsdale residents – but council chiefs have admitted it is an “extremely difficult” issue to clean up.

The community safety team at Dumfries and Galloway Council is tasked with enforcement around picking up after dogs, and other problems which drag down neighbourhoods such as littering, flytipping and abandoned cars, writes Marc McLean.

During the six months between April and September 2025, the community safety team spent approximately 739 hours in Nithsdale, which included 355 hours of detection, deterrence and reassurance patrols, as well as 53 hours on dog fouling investigations.

However, tracking down irresponsible dog owners wasn’t an easy task.

A performance report reads: “Dog fouling is the issue the public would like us to focus on most, it continues to be a hard matter to address as catching those responsible is extremely difficult.

“To make an impact we really need the community to help us, so we will continue to encourage anyone who has a dog fouling concern to report this via the website. It would be helpful to know where the problem is, when it’s happening and if they have a description of the dog and owner, this will allow a much more targeted approach to take place making enforcement more likely.”