Think Snazy meant not just letting a dog off its lead while the owner lounges in the car/bench and then calls it back 30 minutes later, oblivious to anything it's done in the meantime.

Going walking with your dog - even if it is off the lead and chasing after balls/sticks/squirrels - is entirely different... and a lot more fun.

Back to the original post about dog mess though - the majority of owners do clear up after their dogs and as 'good' owners, are also more than likely to ensure their dog's vaccinations are up to date, making it less likely that their faeces is infected with parvovirus.

As with most things though, it's the minority of bad owners who are more visible in terms of what they leave around - and give everyone else a bad name. Not sure what the answer is - would an intense few days of fines/education in the worse affected areas help? I do sometimes wonder if the 'bad' owners are necessarily aware of what the secondary effects can be?