Want to get beach ready this summer? Pick up the poop!

GETTING ready for some summer fun isn’t always about cutting carbs. After all, what’s the point in feeling good in a swimsuit is you’re gingerly trying to avoid stepping on dog poo?

That’s why in the run-up to summer, 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 poo 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 a video - Leave Only Paw Prints- illustrating the direct link between dog fouling and poor beach water quality.

People are more likely to come into contact with dog poo on beaches through swimming and other recreational activities during the bathing season which runs from June 1 to September 15.

And contact with dog dirt can actually

have serious health impacts including diarrhoea and even blindness in children. Their research has shown that even one dog poo can result in contamination the size of a tennis court.

The big poop clean up is necessary as Dublin City Council has advised that ultimately, dog owners may face increased restrictions on beach use as well as more frequent patrols by dog wardens in an effort by local authorities to keep our coastal waters clean and safe for use.

Bylaws may also be reviewed in an effort to improve bathing water quality. ‘The unique aspect of this problem is that it can be rectified through our own actions,’ says Professor Wim Meijer, Professor of Microbiology at UCD.

‘We are confident that increased awareness of this problem will lead more people to clean up after their dog. Each and every dog owner who makes the conscious decision to pick up after their pet will be making a difference.’

For more information on this initiative see acclimatize.eu/dogs.