Irresponsible dog owners left almost 2kg of waste lying in an Auckland park for others to pick up, a dog walker says.
Doggy Bush Break owner Nicki Morrison told Newshub she didn't realise how bad the problem is until she started dog walking.
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"I collect every single dog poo I see so that I'm not blamed for any left behind. I watch where dogs on my pack walks stop to sniff. They are my poo detectors!"
But she collected a monumental amount of poo on Monday's walk at Warkworth Showgrounds, writing to her Facebook followers she had found nearly 2kg.
Morrison shared her frustrations on Facebook, saying she was "almost in tears" at the shear amount of waste picked up, which took four bags to carry away.
"I just don’t get it. Do you (dog owners) want to lose more places to walk your dogs? It was absolutely disgusting the amount left behind at the Warkworth Showgrounds today."
It's not only the Warkworth that's a problem though, Morrison told Newshub the Omaha walkways get so littered with poo after a weekend she's given up walking there.
She said it's unfortunate as off-leash areas to walk dogs are getting more and more difficult to find, so whatever is currently available needs to be protected.
And she's got some choice words for the people that didn't pick up after their pets.
"You are not looking at the bigger picture. Being able to walk your dog in public places these days is a privilege and not a right.
"You wouldn't like to see human faeces on your daily walks so why do you think it's ok to leave dog poo behind?
"The poo you leave behind just gives dog haters more ammunition for further bans and tighter controls. Do you really want that for your loved four-legged family member?"
Newshub contacted Auckland Council about the incident, a spokesperson pointed out the rules for dog walking require owners to pick up any dog faeces immediately.
People who don't could face a $300 fine.
Newshub.
