A ONE-MAN campaign against dog poo has enjoyed huge success.

According to local resident Joe Patton, the natural beauty of Harlech is “frequently spoilt” by a small number of dog walkers who fail to pick up after their dogs and place the mess into dog waste bins.

In a proactive initiative, Joe spent weeks patrolling the area of his home town and offered poo bags and advice to dog owners in a bid to reduce the amount of mess left in public.

The scheme was a great success as Joe explained: “Both Gwynedd Council and Harlech Community Council have taken extensive action to address the problem of dog fouling, so what more can be done?

“When members of the general public decide to take action they are often perceived as being anti-dog and ignored.

“For that reason this campaign was designed and delivered by me, a local dog-owning resident who simply wanted to help keep Harlech beautiful.

“The campaign lasted during the eight weeks of summer and resulted in an extra 35 dog messes a week being picked up off the ground and extra 19 filled bags a week going into dog waste bins instead of trees, blackberry bushes and sand dunes.

“This represents an impressive 74 per cent reduction in abandoned dog waste during the peak holiday season that brings with it a vast increase in the numbers of dogs accompanying holidaymakers and day visitors to Harlech.”

Joe is now considering rolling out the scheme further afield.

Full details about the campaign can be obtained by emailing Joe Patton: [email protected]

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