Dog owners are being warned that dog fouling is not only illegal and rude, but also puts other pets health at risk. The problem is a particular concern in the post-Christmas period as dogs given as presents await their vaccinations and are therefore significantly more vulnerable to picking up diseases . A particularly rife disease at present is parvo, which represents a severe threat to canines.
The parvo virus is transferred through infected faeces, meaning that any dog faeces left on a pavement can be extremely dangerous. A street in Nelson, known for dog fouling, has seen three dogs die of the disease over Christmas .


