Since when has it been acceptable to ‘stick and flick’ dog mess about the countryside like it’s an outdoor game? I’m disgusted by this transgression – and regression. 

Please see below – a ‘South West Lakes Trust’ sign at the gateway to Burrator Reservoir’s enclosure, nicely asking dog owners to actively take part. The use of the words ‘find a stick’ even suggest a little challenge – and as for “Please” – I ask you!

Evidently dog owners are now permitted to disperse their dog mess far and wide with a clear conscience, instead of bagging it and taking it home to dispose of responsibly. The access around the reservoir is wide in places – especially when the water level is low – therefore dog owners will require Olympian capabilities – and accuracy, to aim the mess into undergrowth with one ‘clean’ flick of a suitable stick! Irresponsible dog owners already litter the Burrator area; there are pendulous plastic bags dangling from many trees and fences – and more stuffed in crevices of granite walls – and on Sunday 24th January 2016 – we and others – luckily avoided treading in four separate piles of dog excrement left on both sides of the road over the dam…’stick and flick’ will only worsen the dog fouling problem in the area – and it is a hazardous and unhealthy alternative to ‘bag and bin’. 

Burrator needs attention – and dog bins – and litter bins desperately; general litter blights the area too.  I have notified several authorities – and I hope that something will be done to clean up Burrator.  Above all – I hope that the ‘stick and flick’ signage is removed from the reservoir entrances because it simply isn’t right to encourage dog owners to actively contaminate an area directly around a reservoir with their left behind dog filth.   

Here are some other images from Sunday’s late walk…