Lord Mayor of Dublin Tom Brabazon with Joyce Reid and her dog Kenny at the launch. Photo: Conor McCabe Photography.

The last thing anyone needs is to be washing dog dirt off their hands.

However, that is the risk wheelchair users face every day because of inconsiderate pet owners who allow their animals to foul Dublin's pavements, parks and other open spaces.

"There's enough worry with the coronavirus, and we don't want to be washing dog poo off our hands as well," said city litter prevention officer Bernie Lillis.

"There are serious health implications."

Ms Lillis took part in a new publicity campaign by Dublin City Council yesterday, urging dog owners to clean up after their pets and bin their waste.

"Bag it and bin it, don't put it up on railings," she said.

"What we're trying to do is highlight this as an issue. We have a serious problem."

There is not one public park or green space in Dublin that is free from dog poo, Ms Lillis said.

"You're constantly on alert and having to hop and skip over it," she added.

Disgusting

While it is a disgusting eyesore for most people, it is more than an annoyance for those who use wheelchairs as they can end up with it on their hands.

There are dangers too for visually-impaired people, who not only might step in it but could slip and fall and do themselves an injury.

There is absolutely no excuse for dog owners not to clean up after their dogs, said Ms Lillis.

Dublin City Council hands out thousands of free disposable bags to dog owners at all of its civic offices.

The council has also initiated a dog walker scheme in which people sign up to a pledge to not only always clean up after their pets, but to carry extra bags to give to other owners they might meet on their walks who may need one.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council recently spent more than €15,000 installing talking lamp posts on popular dog-walking routes including Marlay Park and Killiney Hill.

These featured a pre-recorded message that reminded dog owners to clean up after their pet.