Dog fouling penalties doubled

The fixed penalty fine for those who fail to pick up after their pets will be doubled from £40 to £80 from April 1 this year after the Scottish Government received overwhelming support in a consultation on responsible dog ownership.

The Scottish Government will also consider how to develop a more robust system to tackle the issue of collecting unpaid penalties.

Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member for Environmental Services, Councillor David Paterson, said: “I welcome this announcement by the Scottish Government.

“The timing of the increased fine fits in well with the Council’s new dog fouling strategy, which is currently being finalised and is expected to include enforcement as well as education.

“Being able to enforce tougher penalties will provide further support to the strategy, which we plan to unveil before the increased penalties are introduced.

“I am also pleased that the Government will look at how unpaid fines are collected, as there needs to be consequences for those who refuse to pay a fine and therefore choose to break the law.

“I have also met with Paul Wheelhouse, the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, and urged the Scottish Government to take further steps to combat this issue.”