The “pitiful” number of fines dished out by the local authority to those not picking up after their dog has been criticised.
Statistics obtained by the Glasgow Times through a freedom of information request show that just ten fines were handed out in the 2023-24 financial year by Renfrewshire Council.
Furthermore, only eight of these fines were paid, despite 399 cases of dog fouling being reported during this period.
There was a slight increase in fines from the 2022-23 financial year when 455 dog fouling cases were reported and zero fines were handed out.
Councillor Iain McMillan said: “As a councillor for a long time dog fouling has always been at the very top of the list of complaints.
“It's everywhere. It’s on people's doorsteps, on pavements, football pitches, outside schools and bus stops.
“It's raised constantly at tenant associations, community councils and in all sorts of forums.
“When you see the number of fines that have been issued by the council, it’s pretty pitiful.
“I represent Johnstone South and Elderslie and you could probably stand in Spateston for a couple of hours and fine ten people, so how they have managed to do as little as ten over a full year is quite incredible."
“I don’t know if it’s so much a big part of their job now or if they’ve been pulled in other directions like car parking, but I think that it's time really for the council to refocus on this particular issue.”
Councillor Gillian Graham also described dog fouling as a “significant issue”, particularly so in Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch where residents are fed up with dog fouling on “pavements, the cycle path and the public parks where children play.”
“I know I am not alone in regularly receiving complaints regarding dog fouling,” explained the Labour Cllr, who represents Kilbarchan, Howwood, Lochwinnoch and Johnstone North.
“It’s not the dog's at fault, it’s the selfish and lazy behaviour of a minority of dog owners.
“I have three dogs and I know that the vast majority of dog owners are very responsible and pick up after their pets.
“Dog fouling is not helped by the removal of dedicated dog bins. Residents have also told me that signage is poor.
“Last year there were 399 reports of dog fouling but only 10 fines, that can only make people think why bother reporting?"
The number of cases reported includes instances where the local authority’s officers have noticed significant dog fouling themselves in the course of their duties.
According to the council’s website, those in charge of a dog in public and failing to pick up the dog's mess and dispose of it properly can be fined £80.
In May 2023, the council also launched its Take the Lead campaign to encourage responsible dog ownership and work with residents to reduce dog fouling and anti-social behaviour across Renfrewshire.
Cllr Graham said she welcomed the introduction of this campaign, but that she would be interested in knowing “what this has cost and what impact this has had”.
“It’s a well-meaning campaign, however, I’m very disappointed that, despite asking on a number of occasions for the campaign to visit events in Kilbarchan and Howwood, the council hasn’t followed up on my requests,” she added.
“The villages have the highest dog ownership and there are significant opportunities such as gala days, and fetes where ‘Take the Lead’ could be promoted.”
“These campaigns are great but in reality they are obviously not working all that well,” added the Labour cllr.
“I’m not going to tar all dog owners with the same brush because that would not be fair, but there are some irresponsible dog owners out there who just couldn't care less.
“These are the people that you have to maybe be a wee bit tougher with and I am certainly all in favour of fines for people who do this.
“I always believe if you want something to stop then you have to hit people in the pocket.
“Maybe if we had more fines then people would say 'no I better pick that up, the last thing I need this weekend is a fine'.
“It’s unacceptable. The council’s not doing a great job on it.”
"We want to create a community of responsible dog owners who look after their pets and we have been highlighting the issue in hotspots with additional signage, stencilling on the pavement and increased patrols."
It is understood that 2022/23 saw a turnover of staff for the community safety service, with new community support officers recruited and undertaking training on enforcement of a number of environmental crimes including dog fouling.
“Our wardens continue to provide a seven-day service to address a range of environmental crimes, including dog fouling, and parking enforcement to ensure our transport routes are safe and accessible," added the spokesperson.
The wardens also support partner agencies and work alongside dedicated youth teams and Street Stuff to help tackle youth disorder and antisocial behaviour.
“To issue a fine, we need to catch the person in the act which can be difficult.
"We would gratefully accept any information from the community about who may be responsible for dog fouling in their area.
"This could be information about who, when or just a general description of the breed involved.
"Any information would be treated in the strictest of confidence and will help us target areas of concern with additional patrols and increased signage.
"All street litter bins in Renfrewshire are multiuse bins and can be used for dog waste.
"We need all dog owners to lead from the front and ensure everyone knows that it is unacceptable not to pick up after your pet."
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