WORCESTER’S ‘PooWatch’ app which is designed to report incidents of dog mess on the city’s streets has proved a runway success.
Since its launch just two months ago, the City Council has received more than 1,000 alerts on the app with 71 people now regularly using their smart phones and tablets to report dog mess they have spotted on pavements across Worcester.
As a result of the success of ‘PooWatch,’ 20 volunteers have now come forward and begun spraying chalk on pavements warning residents they are in a poo hot spot and alerting enforcement officers where urgent action needs to be taken.
PooWatch works by using GPS location to pin-point on an interactive map of the city where dog mess has been found, plus it also shows the nearest poo bin.
Coun Andy Roberts, cabinet member for a Clean, Green and Safe City, said: “The response from the public has been tremendous.
“Many people giggled at the introduction of PooWatch but now it’s being taken seriously.
“People – who are fed up with this age-old problem – are using it to report incidents, they are also coming forward and getting directly involved in raising awareness within their local communities.
“The map we are building up as a result of the new web app shows the extent of the problem and reveals that there are irresponsible dog-owners in every part of our city. By working with local residents we hope to change that.
“It’s definitely caused a buzz with several other local authorities, including neighbouring authorities and councils as far away as Yorkshire, contacting us and showing interest in the lead we have taken,” he added.
