Dog friendly shopping ends after poo complaints

The bring-your-dog scheme is to end at the shopping centre in the south of Glasgow

A scheme to allow dogs into a popular shopping centre is coming to an end after complaints about dog poo in the building.

Silverburn centre in south Glasgow launched the scheme less than four months ago.

A spokeswoman for the business confirmed there had been "instances of dog fouling recorded over the trial period".

She added that they had to prioritise "human guests and our retailers".

The shopping centre in Pollok has about 80 shops and 30 restaurants, cafes and food outlets.

Its "dog friendly trial" began in October when Silverburn's management introduced the "inclusive" policy in response to a rise in dog ownership.

It said it wanted customers to be able to shop without the "anxiety of leaving [their dogs] behind".

But the scheme is to be phased out over the next few weeks after complaints about fouling on social media and a review of feedback from customers and retailers.

'Disappointing' for dog owners

The spokeswoman said: "We have always been clear that dogs are the responsibility of owners who must be prepared to clean up after their pets."

She added that the company's cleaning team had been available to remove dog mess, but owners were expected to respect the rules.

A statement on the shopping centre website said: "We found that many of our guests don't want the centre to be accessible to dogs for a variety of reasons, and we also had low uptake from our stores, with only a quarter participating in the trial.

"We pride ourselves on being a destination that's inclusive for all and appreciate that this news will be disappointing for those who have enjoyed bringing their dogs to Silverburn. However, the comfort of our human guests and our retailers must be the priority."

Assistance dogs will continue to be allowed in the venue.