Police warning after cows ill from eating dog poo

Contact with dog poo can cause a condition called toxocariasis, according to the NHS

Dog owners have been urged to clean up after their pooches following reports that their poo has been harming cows.

Police in Dorchester, Dorset said they had been informed of a farmer whose cattle had become poorly after ingesting dog faeces.

The excrement, which had not been picked up by the dog's owner, was left in the grass the cows were eating, according to an officer from the Neighbourhood Policing Team.

The officer had been patrolling "rural villages" in the west of the county when they were informed of the incident.

'Toxins and parasites'

"Dog poo can be seriously harmful to livestock due to toxins and parasites which can ultimately lead to the animal having to be put to sleep," the force said.

"This is not only distressing to the animal and farmer, it is also costly."

They added dog poo could also be dangerous to humans, especially children.

"Please be a responsible dog owner, keep your dog in sight at all times and pick up after it has done a poo," they added.

In Dorset, a fixed penalty notice for not cleaning up after a dog is £100, reduced to £75 if paid within 14 days.

According to Keep Britain Tidy, the UK's eight million dogs produce more than 1,000 tonnes of mess every day.

The organisation has said it wants to see rogue dog fouling eradicated by 2030.