Failure to clean up after your dog is an offence. Anyone seen allowing their dog to foul and not cleaning up after it may be approached by the Council's Animal Welfare Officer or other authorised officers and their details taken. The Council may prosecute for such offences although the offender may be offered the option to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice of £50. A repeat offender or someone who has committed multiple offences may not be offered the option of a Fixed Penalty Notice.

The owner will have the opportunity to pay the Fixed Penalty and thereby avoid conviction. The notice must be paid to Winchester City Council within 14 days or, alternatively, if the Fixed Penalty is not paid, the offender may be prosecuted and if found guilty of the offence, fined a maximum of £1,000. It is no defence to claim ignorance of the dog's actions.

We do not operate a payment scheme for Fixed Penalty charges.

If you have a dog fouling hot spot near where you live i.e. where there is regular and persistent fouling, you can report this to Winchester City Council’s Environmental Health and Licensing Team on 01962 848097.  In reporting a fouling hot spot it will enable Winchester City Council to focus resources on the areas of greatest need.

However, the best way to help catch the small percentage of dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs is for you to report an offence to us when you see it. Let us know the time, date, place and circumstances of the offence, plus a description of the owner and dog. If you know where the offender lives or can give us the car registration, this would help us with identification, although we would need statements as evidence of the offence.

When walking your dog, always carry a "poop scoop" or bag to pick up your dog's faeces. These can be put in a dog waste bin (or marked dual waste bin) or taken home for disposal.

Please help us by being a responsible dog owner, thereby enabling everyone to enjoy the environment.

Further information on the Act: The Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996

There can be little doubt that fouling of pavements and public places by dogs is something which, quite rightly, annoys the large majority of the public.  But, of course, it is not just the fouling itself but the fear of disease which may be passed to humans, particularly children, that worries people most.

Toxocariasis is caused by the roundworm Toxocara canis, present in dogs. Humans can become infected by ingesting toxocara eggs which are found in dog faeces. The life cycle is not completed in people and never results in worms. Freshly deposited faeces pose no threat so, if the faeces is cleared immediately there is no danger.

Can children go blind?

Despite scare headlines in the newspapers, blindness or visual impairment from Toxocara infection is possible but extremely rare.

How many cases occur in a year? 

Cases do occur every year in the UK, although fortunately very few are serious. Many people will have had the infection but will be unaware of it as they have not suffered any serious symptoms. However, even one case is one case too many and with basic hygiene practices, people cleaning up after their dogs and regular worming of dogs and cats, the disease is easily preventable.

Why are children more at risk?

Children, especially toddlers, crawl on grass in gardens and parks. They may pick up the toxocara canis eggs on their hands and then put fingers in their mouths. With proper measures such as cleaning up after dogs in these areas and keeping children's sandpits covered when not in use etc., the risk would be even less.

It is important that children should be taught to wash their hands regularly after playing with animals and always before eating.

Worms are present in greatest numbers in bitches who are nursing puppies and the puppies themselves. The best way to cut down the amount of eggs is to worm puppies and bitches regularly according to your vet's advice. Adult dogs will also need regular worming throughout their life.

Dog Barking Complaints

Dog barking is one of the most common noise complaints that we receive at the Council. Most complaints fall into the following categories;

• A dog is left alone in the house and barks while the owner is out.
• A dog is left alone outside or with access to the garden and barks a lot.
• When the dog is let out, it barks continuously for long periods before being brought back in.

The problem is worse if the dog is barking overnight or very early in the morning as this will disturb sleep.

When we receive a complaint about barking dogs, it will be dealt with in the same way as any noise nuisance complaint (see link to noise nuisance page). However, we understand that a dog is a living thing and not something that can easily be switched on and off like loud music.

We understand how disturbing it can be living near a barking dog but we ask that you always try to speak to the owner first before reporting the matter to the Council and be patient if the dog owners are trying to resolve the problem.

Why Is My Dog Barking?

A dog may be barking for a number of reasons but it is important that a dog receives the fundamentals;

• Regular and adequate physical and mental exercise
• A good diet
• Proper training (using reward based training rather than punishment)
• Socialisation (so the dog is used to a wide variety of experiences, people and other animals).
• Good health (with regular veterinary check-ups)

Some of the more common reasons that a dog may bark are;

• Separation anxiety, where a dog does not like being left alone, especially if the dog is used to the owner being there (for example when people started to return to work after they had been at home most of the time during the Covid restrictions).
• Territorial barking, where a dog barks at any person or animal that passes by.
• Alarm barking, where something scares or worries the dog.
• Attention seeking, where the dog barks to gain the owner’s attention.
• Social barking, where there are other dogs nearby barking too.
• Pain or ill health, which can include deafness or dementia.
• Frustration, where the dog may be tied up, isolated or not exercised.

My Dogs Barks A Lot. What Do I Do?

It is difficult if you have to go to work but have a dog that barks and is causing a nuisance to neighbours when left. Every situation is different but options you could consider are;

• Leaving the dog with a friend or relative
• Leaving the dog with a home boarder or day care centre.
• Try working with a dog behaviourist or dog trainer.
• Try leaving the radio playing at a low level, the sound of music and voices can sometimes reassure a dog.
• Try drawing the curtains in case the dog’s barking is a reaction to what it is seeing through the window.

Should you have a dog that barks a lot and you would like advice, you are welcome to contact the Animal Welfare Team for advice via 01962 848097 or ehealth@winchester.gov.uk as we have a lot of experience with dogs. However, we are not dog trainers or behaviourists so you may be better checking the following website, where you can source a local dog trainer or behaviourist;

• Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors https://www.apbc.org.uk/
• Association Of Pet Dog Trainers https://apdt.co.uk/

There is also a lot of good advice and expertise available from the following charities;

• Dogs Trust How To Stop Your Dog Barking | Dog Training | Dogs Trust
• The Blue Cross How to stop your dog barking | Blue Cross
• The RSPCA has a number of webpages that may help #DogKind: Understanding Your Dog | RSPCA