'People in Northern Ireland are fed up': Councils under fire as dog fouling fines fall despite thousands of complaints

Thousands of thoughtless dog owners across Northern Ireland are escaping penalties for failing to clean up after their pets, new figures suggest.

Despite receiving almost 16,000 complaints relating to dog fouling over the past 5 years, local authorities have issued just 800 fixed penalty notices in the same period.

And the number of fines handed out to pet owners plummeted by almost half last year - down from 110 in 2023 to just 57 in 2024.

Pet insurance experts at CompareNI.com obtained data from all 11 councils in Northern Ireland to determine problem areas across the country, looking at which regions received the most complaints – and which handed out the most fines.

While Belfast City Council was unsurprisingly the biggest hotspot for dog fouling complaints (4717) over the past five years, its 12 enforcement officers issued just 54 fixed penalties during the same period.

Ards and North Down had the second highest number of complaints at 2102 – however, it doled out more fines than any other council (171).

At the other end of the scale, Antrim and Newtownabbey’s team of six enforcement officers have issued just 10 fines since 2021, despite receiving 1060 complaints.

While Fermanagh and Omagh received the fewest complaints (532), it was also one of three councils (along with Causeway Coast & Glens and Antrim & Newtownabbey) to have not handed out a single fixed penalty notice in at least 18 months.

Elected representatives across Northern Ireland have called for council officials to implement tougher measures in a bid to clampdown on dog fouling, with some hiring private enforcement companies to catch offenders in the act.

One council is even considering creating a DNA database for all registered dogs in the district, so that fouling could be traced back to individual dogs and their owners.

While some local authorities have already increased fines to £200 as a deterrent against dog fouling, many residents still do not think enough is being done to tackle the problem.

A new survey by CompareNI.com found that 93% of people believe there should be harsher punishments for dog owners who don’t pick up after their pets.

Almost three quarters of respondents said they have seen someone fail to pick up their dog's waste in public, while 70% said they believe the issue of dog mess on their local streets is getting worse.

Ian Wilson, pet insurance expert and managing director at CompareNI.com said: “Dog mess in public places is not just an unpleasant nuisance – it is a serious issue that poses both a health and an environmental hazard in our communities.

“Dog faeces carry viruses and parasites that can cause illness and even blindness, particularly in children.

“Our survey suggests people in Northern Ireland are fed up with the small minority of dog owners who are failing to pick up their dog’s mess. I love dogs, we’ve always had pups as part of our family, and I understand the frustration felt by fellow dog owners when our streets and beauty spots are blighted by dog waste - I want to join them in calling for greater action to be taken by authorities to stamp out this behaviour.

“Dog waste can also be harmful to other dogs, containing all sorts of worms which could make them very ill if ingested. Part of being a responsible dog owner is to ensure your pup is protected with pet insurance. Not only does it allow you to give your four-legged friend quality health care, but it also protects you financially from any unexpected and costly vet fees.”

CompareNI.com can help animal lovers fetch savings on all sorts of pet insurance.