Oakham residents are keen dog owners, which is apparent in the number of successful dog groomers, pet shops, dog walkers and pet friendly pubs and restaurants in the area.

With the wonderful walks that are on the doorstep for many, it comes as no surprise that this is a dog walkers paradise.

However, with rural country lanes and canal side walks, comes the inevitable hop, skip and jump to avoid piles of dog mess.

Oakham local Karen wrote in to say: "I walked up the canal between Oakham and Langham just last night, and I came across no less than 5 instances of dog mess in less than 50 yards.

I know it is easy for people to miss these things, especially when walking later at night, but these footpaths are used by everyone - kids going to school even - so leaving a mess behind like this seems unfair and irresponsible."

Have you seen an increase in dog fouling near you?

The PFMA (Pet Food Manufacturers' Association) estimated that 19% of families brought a new pet home during the lockdown, so this increase in dog ownership is sure to equate to an increase in those leaving dog mess behind.

This isn't to say that dog waste is only left by new owners though, this issue having been a hot topic for years.

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