A MAN from Harlech has recently decided to take the lead on dog fouling matters in his area by targeting an awareness campaign at owners who fail to clean-up after their pets.

Dog owner Joe Patton says he decided that the best way to achieve his objectives was to adopt a “hearts and minds” approach.

He contacted teachers at Ysgol Tan y Castell who then worked with the children to produce colourful posters.

Joe then contacted Gwynedd Council’s Tidy Towns Officer, Jonathan Neale, who supported the campaign by providing free biodegradable dog waste bags.

The “Keep Harlech Beautiful” social media campaign set up by Joe has encouraged local residents to spread the word about his initiative.

The campaign ran for eight weeks from July to September during which time he spoke with 350 different dog owners and counted the number of dog faeces along each path surveyed.

"I’m very pleased to report that my campaign has resulted in a decrease of 74% in dog fouling on Harlech’s paths," Joe said.

"This was achieved during the high season when the local canine population was four times its normal level.

"I’d like to thank everyone for their contribution and especially to the local community who responded brilliantly."

Local Gwynedd Councillor Freya Bentham, added: "I’m very grateful to Joe for his tireless efforts to raise awareness and for his amazing success in reducing dog fowling in the Harlech area.

"We’re so privileged to be living in such a wonderful landscape here, and the last thing we need is dog mess to spoil the sense of freedom and safety in the town and on the Morfa."