Just a personal opinion, but I don't think it matters whether you rent somewhere or own vast tracts of land - dog mess in the street is unwelcome for everyone, whether you walk past it safely, or through it. And I can't believe that a dog owner leaves it with no recognition of the fact that they're doing a bad thing.

For what it's worth, I think that whether someone currently owns the place they live in or not is a very limited definition of "class" - but that's almost certainly a discussion for another thread.

I'd also guess (and this is purely based on my own experience and my friends) that childless couples (particularly where both members of the couple work) are generally a lot less likely to have pets, specifically dogs, than a family would be.

The problem does seem intermittently to be a lot worse in the area bounded by Garthorne and Bovill than north of the tracks (I too have lived in both places) but I think that's just a feature of the layout and the fact that you can walk a nice grid away from the main road, combined with one or two lazy dog-owners (or dog-walkers, maybe).

I really do feel like one or two people (and their treatment of their pets) makes a huge difference for this particular issue. Is it relevant whether they're Frank Gallagher or the Duke of Westminster? I think not - the mess they leave is equally unpleasant and unwelcome.

Sadly - and possibly of more relevance - I also think that it's pretty much impossible to prevent recurrence - anyone who currently lets their dog use the street as a toilet is unlikely to be aware of the fact that it's messy and dangerous and won't be likely to change their mind after being challenged.