26/07/2026
Another reason to always pick up after our dogs.
🌱 Why the stick and flick rule is killing animals🐾
With the recent warm weather, farmers have been working hard out in the fields making hay. I thought it was a good time to put out a reminder to always pick up your dog poo, regardless of where you are.
💩 Dog poo isn’t the same as manure.
It contains bacteria and parasites that can survive for months in the soil. When left in fields used for grazing or hay production, these pathogens can contaminate feed and put sheep and cattle at risk.
🦠 One of the biggest concerns is Neospora caninum, a parasite carried by dogs. Most dogs show no symptoms, so owners often have no idea their dog is shedding it.
Dogs can pick it up from raw meat, placentas, or carcasses as well as it being passed from infected bitch to pup. Once infected, they can shed Neospora eggs in their poo and these eggs can survive in grass and soil long after the poo itself has disappeared.
Neospora is one of the main infectious causes of abortion in UK cattle. It can lead to, miscarriages and long-term herd health issues. Cows remain infected for life and can pass the parasite to their calves.
🌾 Why Hay Fields Are High-Risk
When dog poo is left in a hay field the parasite contaminates the grass. That grass is cut and baled and the contaminated hay is fed to livestock months later. This means a single poo left in summer can cause abortions in winter, often with no obvious link back to the original contamination.
🐕 Picking up every time, even in quiet fields or on the edges of farmland protects animals, supports local farmers, and keeps our countryside safe for everyone.
Let’s keep our dogs enjoying the beautiful spaces we’re lucky to have, and keep those spaces healthy for the animals who rely on them. Our poor farmers have a tough enough time providing us with much needed food, dog owners don't need to make it any harder.
