Tongues and tails set wagging as mass dog walk takes place in Renfrew

Dogs of all shapes and sizes brought along their owners to a mass dog walk in Robertson Park in Renfrew to promote responsible dog ownership in Renfrewshire.

The walk was part of Renfrewshire Council’s Take the Lead campaign and saw more than 50 people bring their dogs along to take part in the leisurely stroll around the park.

Owners were asked to sign up to the Responsible Dog Owner pledge which makes a commitment to always taking bags on walks to pick up after their dog, encouraging other owners to do so, and keeping the dog on a lead in public places.

For signing up, owners were given a branded lead, a light for night-time walks, and a poo bag dispenser to allow them to be ambassadors for the campaign and encourage behaviour change across Renfrewshire.

St Mirren Dog Training were also there to give a demonstration of top training techniques and owner Denise Symon was delighted to see so many people taking part.

Denise said: “We thoroughly enjoyed the ‘Take the Lead’ event. It was lovely to see such a large gathering of dogs all having fun.

“Lots of people took the chance to have a go at the different dog sports and chat to our trainers and there were some beautiful dogs in the dog show making it very hard to choose the rosette winners. And the sun shone , so a perfect day.”

Also in the park on the day was a Dog Companion Show led by Crufts judge Debbie Fleming, with five pedigree classes, including a puppy class, non-sporting and sporting, and six fun classes, including best mover, best condition and most handsome dog, which gave people the chance to see if their dog was best in class.

Take the Lead is part of the council’s wider Team Up to Clean Up campaign and took place during Spotless September which brings thousands of volunteers together to take part in litter picks across Renfrewshire.

Volunteers are able to get in touch with the council to be provided with equipment to take part in their own litter pick and the council will clear the bags away afterwards from an agreed location. Volunteers can invite other like-minded people to join them on a litter pick through the campaign’s Facebook group which has more than 4,900 members.

Councillor Michelle Campbell, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many people come together to promote responsible dog ownership in Renfrewshire as we all want to ensure our streets are free of dog fouling and it’s the owners who need to lead by example.

“It’s always great to see our parks full of excited dogs – and owners – and I’m delighted to see so many more people signing up to the pledge.

“Take the Lead is just one part of our Team Up to Clean Up campaign and we’re committed to working together with our communities to make a positive difference to our local environment and the cleanliness of our streets, so please join the thousands of others who are part of our Team up to Clean Up family and get involved.”

Dog owners can sign the Responsible Dog Owners pledge and agree to be ambassadors for the campaign and encourage others to take responsibility for their dogs via the council website at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/teamuptocleanup.

To request equipment, call 0300 300 1375, email litterpicks@renfrewshire.gov.uk, or join the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/teamuptocleanup.