Petplan, the pet insurance company, has partnered with TiksPac to help local communities reduce dog fouling.
The deal with the international waste specialists and several local authorities, will lead to the installation of 100 dog waste bag dispenser stations across the south east of England.
The stations, which feature Petplan branding, provide dog owners who have forgotten to bring ‘poo bags’ with them with access to free bags to encourage them to clean up after their pets. The bags are 100% compostable and biodegradable.
Petplan is funding the stations which have been installed at local authority sites in Didcot, Surrey Heath and areas of West Berkshire. The stations can be located anywhere there is a problem with dog fouling. They are made from high-quality steel which has anti-corrosive properties and is anti-graffiti coated for easy cleaning.
Petplan’s head of marketing Isabella Von Mesterhazy, said: “We’re really happy to be sponsoring these stations as they encourage responsible pet ownership by getting more people to take responsibility for cleaning up after their pets and they are good for the local community and environment too.”
Lynsey Alderson of TiksPac added: “By sponsoring these stations Petplan is helping to reduce dog fouling which is a perennial problem for many local authorities. A survey of the councils we’re working with has shown that where TiksPac stations are installed there’s an average decrease in dog fouling complaints of 49.4% and a 56.8% decrease in overall littering in the same areas.
“Numerous studies show that people are more likely to drop litter in areas where there are already high volumes of rubbish, including dog waste. Conversely, where litter levels are low, people are more likely to dispose of all types of waste responsibly.”
She added: “The TiksPac approach is designed to save local authorities time and money as volumes of dog waste and litter decrease. But most importantly, we see this as the first step towards creating a safer, cleaner community.”
