Dog Fouling

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Broxtowe Borough Council has a legal duty to keep certain types of land which come under its control clear of dog faeces, as far as is practicable.  These areas include:

• Parks
• Recreation grounds
• Children's playgrounds
• Sports grounds
• Picnic sites
• Pedestrianised areas
• Pavements
• Verges
• Footpaths
• Gutters and carriageways

It is the responsibility of the dog owner or the person in charge of a dog to clean up any dog foul left by their dog. This applies to all public open land in the Borough of Broxtowe.

A fixed penalty notice of £50 will be issued to those owners who are witnessed failing to clean up after their dog. Failure to pay a fixed penalty notice will result in the council pursuing a prosecution through the magistrate's court, which carries a penalty of £1000. Being unaware that the dog has fouled, not having suitable means of removing the faeces or nowhere to dispose of the bags is not a reasonable excuse for failing to clean up after a dog.

Those dog owners that bag the mess but don't bin it (for example they dispose of the bag in a hedge, a tree or a garden) could face an additional offence for littering, which carries a fixed penalty notice of £75 or a separate maximum fine of £2,500.

There are over 300 dog fouling bins installed and maintained in the borough.

If you witness an owner allowing their dog to foul and they fail to clean it up please report this to us.

Prosecution for dog fouling

Prosecution in the Magistrate's court may result in a fine of up to £1,000.  Alternatively the Council may issue a fixed penalty notice.  Payment of a fixed penalty of £50 within 14 days discharges any liability for the offence.  If you fail to pay the fixed penalty you will be prosecuted which could result in a higher fine and responsibility for the court costs.  The fixed penalty notice is discretionary; where a persistent offender is known the authority may prosecute.

If you have received a fixed penalty notice and would like more information please see the fixed penalty notice Q&As.