Special event for Morpeth dog lovers
21 Feb 2023 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
Northumberland County Council is running a Green Dog Walkers event in Morpeth on the morning of Saturday 4th March and residents are being invited along and to bring their dogs if they wish.
The event will take place at My Pet HQ, 15-17 Oldgate, Morpeth, NE61 1QF on Saturday 4 March between 10am- 1pm.
People will be able to sign up to the Green Dog Walkers scheme, get their dog micro-chipped for free, 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 4,000 residents who have already signed up to the scheme. Those that sign up to a 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 which they can 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.
Northumberland County Councillor Colin Horncastle, cabinet member for community services said: “Dog fouling is one of our top environmental priorities and one of the issues most raised with us by residents.
“The Green Dog Walkers scheme 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 4,000 residents signed up to the scheme and hope we get lots more members during 2023 and beyond.”