What is Green Dog Walkers? The Green Dog Walkers campaign was the idea of a local community group (Community Green Initiative) from Denny and Dunipace who approached the Litter Strategy Team for advice and support to help develop their idea.
Green Dog Walkers (GDW) is a non-confrontational, friendly way to change attitudes about dog fouling in the Falkirk Council area. Volunteers wear a GDW armband (or their dogs wear the green GDW collar) which signifies that they have "taken the pledge" to always:
clean up after their dog wear the armband or put the GDW collar on their dog when walking their dog carry extra dog waste bags be happy to be approached to 'lend' a dog waste bag to those without be a friendly reminder to other dog walkers to clean up after their dogs The green arm band or green dog collar acts as a friendly reminder to please pick up after your dog.
The story so far… It was never anticipated that the campaign would grow as quickly as it did and gain as wide a following of supporters. Initially the campaign was only to be a one year pilot project within Denny and Dunipace. However during the first two years there has been a great deal of interest and the scheme has been rolled out throughout the Falkirk Council area.
We have over 700 volunteers in the Falkirk area wearing the GDW armbands as well as 21 community group partners who are managing their own schemes within their neighborhoods.
In February 2010 the scheme won the UK Kennel Club Dog Recognition Award and we had a presence at the 2010 Crufts Dog Show, including spots on Crufts TV , where we signed up 80 more pledgers. To date the total number of pledgers in England, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and Ireland numbers approximately 1200 and growing daily.
How you can become a Green Dog Walker? Sign the pledge on the GDW form (PDF, 108KB) |, send it to us and we will post you out a GDW armband.
GDW Dog Collars in lieu of armbands are not sent through the post and can only be given out at events such as school fayrs, health fayrs, Canine Capers and other Falkirk District events where GDW pledge booths are present.
Or
You can run your own scheme by adopting the GDW in your area.
To adopt the GDW you need to:
be a constituted community group administer the project e.g. distribution of materials, meeting mailing costs, etc. help with promotion of the campaign in your area run or take part as a volunteer in at least 3 pledge booths or GDW events annually help with the monitoring and evaluating of the campaign at a local level e.g. before and after surveys, participate in questionnaires sent and feedback on the number of armband wearers approached to ask for a dog bag etc. The Litter Strategy Team have created a GDW starter pack, free of charge for Falkirk District groups who wish to adopt the scheme.
The starter pack It is proposed that the pack will contain:
a starter supply of armbands (adult and child sizes) a starter supply of leaflets (with pledge forms included) posters a box of dog waste disposal bags poop scoops Booklet: Your Green Dog Walker Guide (tips on how to run the campaign) In addition to providing the starter packs The Litter Team will provide ongoing support and advice to all groups signing up to Green Dog Walkers, helping to promote the campaign Council wide.
Please get in contact if you are interested in rolling out the campaign in your local neighborhood or would like some more information. We will be happy to meet and discuss the project in more detail. For further information call 01324 504433 or email greendogwalkers@falkirk.gov.uk |.
Trade Marked and Licensed Due to the amount of interest the GDW campaign has received from out with the Council area we have trademarked the scheme to protect the successful brand and message that it has created. Other local authorities are becoming Green Dog Walkers licensees.
If you are a local authority, private organisation or a voluntary organisation out with Falkirk District and wish to encourage your local authority to adopt this scheme please contact the Litter Strategy Team for further information on our Licensing Package. See "Your Green Dog Walker Guide" link at Documents (top of this page) for full information.
The facts... the Scotland Dog Fouling Act 2003 fines from £40 - £500 52% of UK households have a pet there are 7 million UK dog owners However, it is safe to clean it up "on the spot".
Come to the Green Dog Walkers Pledge Booth at
Canine Capers This Year! (PDF, 1.5MB) |
10th July 2011 Noon - 4pm at Dollar Park
This article is reproduced with the kind permission of Falkirk District Council
