With summer rapidly approaching, the country’s dog owners are being encouraged to leave only paw prints in the sand and pick up after their pets when using the country’s beaches.
The UCD Acclimatize Project has identified dog faeces as an important cause of water pollution, which can result in temporary bathing prohibition notices being issued by local authorities.
In an effort to address this issue, the UCD Acclimatize team has released an animated video entitled ‘Leave Only Paw Prints’ illustrating the direct link between dog fouling and poor beach water quality. They want to highlight the potential harm caused by the abandoned dog mess and encourage pet owners to take responsibility for cleaning up after their dogs on the beach to help ensure better water quality for all to enjoy.
People are more likely to come into contact with dog faeces on beaches through swimming and other recreational activities during the bathing season which runs from 1st June to 15th September.
Contact with dog faeces can have serious health impacts including diarrhea and even blindness. Their research has shown that even one dog foul can result in contamination the size of a tennis court.
For more information on this initiative log ontowww.acclimatize.eu/dogs.
