Dog owners urged to join ‘Paws on Plastic’

Dog owners are being asked to pick up at least two pieces of litter when walking their pets.

The request has been made by the Scottish SPCA, which is encouraging people to support its Paws on Plastic initiative throughout May.

Scotland’s animal welfare charity saw an increase of 17 per cent in calls about litter from January 1 to March 31 this year compared to the previous year.

A total of 118 incidents have been raised involving animals and discarded rubbish this year – up from the same period in 2020, when there were 99.

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “We get countless reports every year of animals ingesting or becoming trapped or caught in litter or discarded fishing wire.

“Some litter is a choking hazard or can cause damage and restrict an animal’s ability to eat which can lead to starvation. Animals can also ingest rubbish which can be fatal.

“The public should exercise caution and be careful when picking up litter and we ask that children taking part be accompanied by a responsible adult.

“We recommend picking up litter with a dog bag or litter picker to avoid direct contact with any litter and do not pick up anything that could be harmful like glass or sharp objects.

“Any syringes found should not be picked up but reported to the local authority Emergency Waste Uplift informing them of the location of the syringe.”

CS Flynn continued:“Even if people don’t have dogs, we would urge people to still take part and get out in their local area and clean up for the benefit of animals and the community.”