900 complaints on dog fouling.. but just 40 fines

900 complaints on dog fouling.. but just 40 fines

13 August 2025

THE scale of the district’s dog fouling problem has been laid bare this week.

New figures have revealed that Newry, Mourne and Down Council has received 900 complaints about dog fouling across the district since 2021, but has only issued 40 fines over the same period.

The data has been made public by pet insurance experts at Compare.NI which collated data from all of the province’s local authorities since 2021.

Locally, Newry, Mourne and Down Council received 149 dog fouling complaints in 2021 with the number increasing in 2022 to 216 and rising again to 222 one year later.

Complaints dipped to 193 last year, with the reported figure for 2025 to date 120.

The 40 fines equate to one issued for every 22 complaints lodged with the local authority since 2021.

Dog fouling is an issue which impacts every town and village across the council area and in the past, the local council has been urged to use DNA testing on dog dirt in a bid to trace animals whose owners allow them to use public areas as open air toilets.

The local authority was also urged to ”name and shame” pet owners who display a flagrant disregard for the law by not cleaning up after their dogs.

Council officials maintain that enforcement is a key issue but when it comes to dishing out fines, the local authority is eclipsed by other councils including Ards and North Down. Since 2021 it has dished out 171 fines, the highest number across all Northern Ireland councils.

Politicians insist dealing with dog fouling starts with pet owners who need to show more respect for their local community and recreational areas which are not solely in existence for animals to relieve themselves.

The latest Compare.NI figures reveal that province-wide, dog fouling complaints continue to rise with the number of fines handed out falling.

The data shows thousands of thoughtless dog owners across Northern Ireland are escaping penalties for failing to clean up after their pets,.

Despite receiving almost 16,000 complaints relating to dog fouling over the past five years, local authorities have issued just 800 fixed penalty notices in the same period.

And the number of fines handed out to pet owners plummeted by almost half last year — down from 110 in 2023 to just 57 in 2024.

Belfast City Council was the biggest hotspot for dog fouling complaints (4,717) over the past five years, with its 12 enforcement officers issuing just 54 fixed penalties during the same period.

Ards and North Down had the second highest number of complaints at 2,102, but dished out more fines than any other council.

At the other end of the scale, Antrim and Newtownabbey’s team of six enforcement officers have issued just 10 fines since 2021, despite receiving 1,060 complaints.

Fermanagh and Omagh received the fewest complaints (532), but it was also one of three councils along with Causeway Coast & Glens and Antrim & Newtownabbey not to have handed out a single fixed penalty notice in at least 18 months.

Elected representatives across Northern Ireland have called for council officials to implement tougher measures in a bid to clampdown on dog fouling, with some hiring private enforcement companies to catch offenders in the act.

While some local authorities have already increased fines to £200 as a deterrent against dog fouling, many residents still do not think enough is being done to tackle the problem.

A new survey by CompareNI.com found that 93% of people believe there should be harsher punishments for dog owners who don’t pick up after their pets.

Almost three quarters of respondents said they have seen someone fail to pick up their dog’s waste in public, while 70% said they believe the issue of dog mess on their local streets is getting worse.

Ian Wilson, pet insurance expert at CompareNI.com said dog mess in public places is not just an unpleasant nuisance – it’s s a serious issue that poses both a health and an environmental hazard in communities.

“Dog faeces carry viruses and parasites that can cause illness and even blindness, particularly in children,” he said.

“Our survey suggests people in Northern Ireland are fed up with the small minority of dog owners who are failing to pick up their dog’s mess.

He added: “Dog waste can also be harmful to other dogs, containing all sorts of worms which could make them very ill if ingested.

“Part of being a responsible dog owner is to ensure your pup is protected with pet insurance. Not only does it allow you to give your four-legged friend quality health care, but it also protects you financially from any unexpected and costly vet fees.”