Special event for Bedlington dog lovers

03 May 2019 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

Northumberland County Council is running a Green Dog Walkers event at Gallagher Park, Bedlington on Saturday 4 May. The event will provide information, advice and support to dog owners and will take place between 10-1pm.

People will be able to sign up to the scheme, get their dog micro-chipped or check that their dog is properly micro-chipped. They will also be able to collect free poo bags and get advice from the council’s animal welfare officer.  

Green Dog Walkers is a scheme which encourages responsible dog ownership. It is a community-led programme aimed at reducing dog fouling by promoting responsible dog ownership across Northumberland. 

Dog owners across the county are being encouraged to join the 2,000 residents who have already signed up to the scheme. Those that sign up  pledge to always clean up after their dog,  put the bag in a bin and to use a friendly approach to encourage other dog walkers to do the same.  
Green dog walkers are sent a green dog walkers badge to wear when walking their dog to help draw attention to the scheme as well as green doggy bags and pledge leaflets.

The council also provides a Green Dog Walkers support kit to local community groups and  individuals who want to get involved.

A spokesperson for Northumberland County Council said: “Dog fouling is one of our top environmental priorities and one of the issues most commonly raised with us by residents.  

“Green Dog Walkers is intended to be a friendly and non-confrontational approach to changing attitudes to the problem of dog fouling.

“It complements other council approaches across the county including issuing fines when irresponsible dog owners are caught allowing their dogs to foul without picking up after them and educational initiatives promoting responsible dog ownership.

"We are extremely grateful to all of our Green Dog Walkers for their commitment. We have recently signed up our 2,000th member and I hope we get lots more members during 2019 and beyond.”

If you are interested in becoming a Green Dog Walker, please email greendogwalkers@northumberland.gov.uk, or visit www.northumberland.gov.uk/greendogwalkers