A DARTMOOR pony keeper is appealing for dog walkers to take their animals’ poo bags home with them if the bins are overflowing as they pose a real danger to livestock.

Jo Ellis from Sampford Spiney was checking her mares on Dartmoor during the foaling season when she was informed about an overflowing bin on The Pimple on Whitchurch Down, Tavistock (pictured) on April 20.

Jo said the bags pose a danger to new born foals and lambs as they will chew them and urged people to take the poo bags home with them and not leave them balanced on top or underneath the bin.

‘Dog poo bags cause a very real danger to livestock on the moor — the bags are small enough for the inquisitive newly born foals and lambs to chew and swallow which endangers the animal’s life,’ she said.

She added that there had been an increase of dogs being walked in the area due to Covid-19 and as a result there had been a big increase in the volume of poo bags deposited in the designated dog poo bins.

West Devon Borough Council is commissioned to empty the dog poo bins around Tavistock by the town council which owns them.

Jo reported the issue to the council and within 24 hours the bin, and two others in the area of Whitchurch Down, had been emptied.

‘The councils’ response was excellent,’ she added. ‘The authorities are working hard to increase collections, however, we are asking everyone to play their part. If you find the dog poo bin is full please take your poo bag home and dispose of it as you normally would. Enjoy your walk whilst keeping the moorland animals safe.’

A Tavistock Town Council spokesperson asked people to take the bags home, if the bin was full, in order to protect livestock: ‘The town council will undertake additional checks as well on Whitchurch Down to see if the situation gets worse or better and we can contact West Devon Borough Council if required as well when there are significant issues.’

Advice from Dartmoor National Park Authority’s ranger code is for people to ‘bag it and bin it at home’.