The UK area almost free of dog poo hell - with not even 1 report

Dog fouling is an ongoing issue for many councils, and there are estimated to be more than eight million dogs producing over 1,000 tonnes of waste every day in the UK. But one county could lay claim to being England's cleanest thanks to zero dog mess complaints.

Data compiled by the pet insurance company Quotezone reveals the English counties with the highest numbers of dog fouling complaints between March 2024 and March 2025 - including how many penalties were issued. The data was gathered through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests sent to 296 councils across England - including unitary authorities, district councils, metropolitan districts, and London boroughs - with 253 councils responding.

The research revealed that England's smallest county Rutland had zero dog mess complaints. Although the Rutland county council's website doesnt list dog fouling in their list of anti-social behaviours to report, it seems like compared to other areas in the UK, the county seems to keep the issue under control.

The East Midlands county located between Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire is known for its efforts in maintaining cleanliness, particularly through its street cleaning and litter collection programs.

An example is joining the Great British Spring Clean, during which Rutland encourages residents to help keep their community tidy by taking part in litter-picking activities.

The council provides kits and ensures all collected waste is properly disposed of, promoting a cleaner local environment.

At the other end of the scale, London recorded the highest overall number of dog fouling complaints over the 12-month period, with 13,116 reports logged by local councils.

But when adjusted for population size, Shropshire came out on top, with 498 complaints for every 100,000 residents. Taking third spot for the most dog fouling complaints was Tyne and Wear with 2,778 - that's 246 per 100,000 people.

Interestingly, despite the volume of complaints, Shropshire and Northumberland issued the fewest fixed penalty notices - only five each in a year. Lancashire councils issued the highest number of fines, totaling 164, while the top 10 regions averaged just 51 fines each per year.

Helen Rolph, pet insurance expert at Quotezone said: "It's clear from our data that dog fouling presents a huge problem across England, and there's a worrying gap between the number of complaints made and fines issued.

"It's not just about keeping our streets clean either. Dog mess can be dangerous, especially for children, as it carries harmful parasites, bacteria and viruses that can even cause blindness."