Only 48 fines for dog poo were issued in Ireland last year, according to new figures released to Vision Ireland last year. 

The number is two more than the 46 issued in 2023, but suggests the vast majority of dog owners who do not clean up after their pet escape punishment. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Bray based vet Pete Wedderburn said it remains “very difficult” to bring a prosecution against offenders. 

“The people who get the prosecutions are litter wardens or dog wardens and they need to actually witness the dog defecating," he explained. 

“Then they need to see the owner walking away from the dog poop and they need to prove that the person walking from the dog poop is definitely in charge of the dog. 

“So, it’s difficult to actually make that sequence of events happen.” 

A cocker spaniel. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Mr Wedderburn continued that he believes that only a “very small minority” truly believe it is not important to clean up after their animal. 

“Maybe 5% of dog owners,” he said. 

“I think there’s another cohort of people who maybe have their dog running around a little bit away from them and they just don’t notice, they’re not watching their dog when they do the poo. 

“So, it happens out of sight, out of mind.” 

A Yorkshire terrier. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Whatever the reason, dog poo is a public health issue. 

It is especially a problem for blind people who cannot see what they are stepping on. 

“The dog worm can cause blindness in children,” Mr Wedderburn said. 

“It’s very rare for that to happen but a significant percentage of dog poo does carry the dog worm. 

“If people don’t worm their dogs regularly, there are going to be worm eggs in the poo and that can cause blindness in children.” 

A dog jumping. Picture by: Alamy.com

Mr Wedderburn added that some people are “very hard to engage with” on the issue and can “react even violently” when challenged. 

“I think the main thing is education so people definitely realise the significance of not picking up after their dog,” he said. 

“There are some innovative ideas, such as you can get DNA tests carried out on dog poo to match the dog poo with individual dogs - that’s proof that can be used in court.” 

He also suggested dressing dog wardens in civilian clothes might help them catch more offenders.

Main image: A dog doing a poo. Image: Geoff Smith / Alamy Stock Photo