Grrr! Dog pooh!

HEDON TOWN COUNCILLOR Councillor Gordon Thurston has made an impassioned plea via the Hull Daily Mail for residents to report dog walkers who let their animals foul public areas.

It is not only a nuisance, but it is associated with various diseases including 'toxocara canis' which is a particularly nasty parasitic worm that can grow from 9 to 18 cm and can be passed onto humans through dog mess.

All it takes is for a child to be playing in a grassed area where an infected dog has recently fouled - the worms eggs are in the mess; the child gets mess on their hands; fingers and thumbs go in the mouth!

The toxocara canis roundworm inside people can cause stomach upsets, sore throats and bring on asthma. The eggs can remain active in the soil for many years, long after the dog mess has weathered away.

Roundworm and tapeworm (intestinal parasites) can affect dogs at any age, so they should be treated regularly for worms. According to DEFRA 'Worms can cause sickness and diarrhoea in young animals but adult dogs may show no signs'. So some dog owners may not know that their pet is infected!

 If all this isn't reason enough to encourage residents to report dog fouling - then what is!

Of course most dog owners are responsible - and actually are in the best position to report those that are not! You can report dog fouling via the East Riding Council website see Dog Fouling.