mutt mitt logo

The Mutt Mitt Dispensers project came about due to the Community Futures survey which took place in 2012. Swinford community futures was held in Swinford in June 2012. All members of the community were asked to take part and over 1000 questionnaires were returned. The were a lot of positive comments in the survey, however there were some negative comments about the town. One of the top dislikes about the town was dog fouling. View and download the complete survey results in our Publications Section. 

Extract from the Swinford Area Action Plan 2013 – 2018 which was commisioned by Community Futures in 2012. The result’s from this survey of over 1,300 people in the Swinford community, is what prompted Swinford tidy towns to tackle the issue.

Top Dislikes

Image of the Town: dirty littered
streets & footpaths, dogs fouling walkways &
footpaths, eyesores and neglected areas.

“Our streets are filthy with dog foul”

Swinford Tidy Towns have with the small number of volunteers and limited resources tackled the problems listed above. At the beginning of 2013 we installed “Doggie Bins” at various locations around Swinford town. We would like to thank all the dog owners who have come on board from the beginning and have cooperated with us to date. The dog fouling along our walkways has greatly reduced due to the dog owners picking up after their dogs and using the bins provided. Our Tidy Towns volunteers twice weekly, Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings empty the bins. The Swinford Area Action Plan recommendations also form a large part of the Swinford Tidy Towns 5 year plan.

Swinford area action plan 2013 to 2018

This is our first time staying in Swinford while visiting Ireland. We find the locals very friendly and chatty. We cannot get over the mutt mitt doggie bags, back home we always bring our own plastic bags to pick up after our dog when out walking.

James & Sue from Cheshire

How to use the Mutt Mitts

The bags (mutt mitts) for the dog poop are great. I always bring a plastic bag with me but I sometimes forget. Its great to have them around the park when I’m out walking if I forget to bring bags with me.

Anne (from locality)

Mutt Mitts dispensers

Thanks to the help of the Environment Section of Mayo County Council (and especially Teresa & Sharon!) we started out with 7 Mutt Mitt Dispensers installed at various locations around Swinford. To date, we now have 15 Mutt Mitts dispensers and bins located at varoius locations around Swinford town. Thanks to Ciaran from MuttMitts.ie for supplying and installing the dispensers in record time! We would especially like to thank Deirdre and all the Tús workers who maintain and look after the dispensers and bins for us.

Mutt Mitts is a fantastic pet waste removal solution that helps you pick-up after your dog. Our products are 100% degradable, 2-ply at the business end & a roomy pocket shape for easy pick up. Mutt Mitt is a pet pollution solution that is environmentally friendly in many ways.

As a dog owner, we urge you to take steps to reduce your dog’s “carbon paw print”, and to find earth friendly pet products that are healthy for your dog and the environment. Inspire others to be environmentally responsible dog owners, and to advocate for more dog friendly spaces in our communities.

Mutt mitt dispenser being installed
Dispenser at Park Rd
Dispenser at Kilkelly Rd junction
Dispenser at No Name Club Chapel Street Swinford
Mutt Mitt dispenser at Aras Attracta Park Rd
Dispenser at the Court House Davitt Place
Mutt Mitt dispenser at Amenity park
Dispenser at Aras Attracta entrance Park Rd
Official Launch of Swinford Mutt Mitts project 2014

The Dangers From Dog Poop
The main reason for dog fouling laws is because dog faeces is unhygienic and a health hazard. Dog fouling is unsightly, unpleasant and can lead to toxocariasis in humans. Toxocariasis causes serious illness and even blindness. It is caused by a parasite known as Toxocara Canis (also known as Roundworm). These parasites live in dogs’ digestive systems.

Toxocariasis usually affects children aged between one and four years. But cases of toxocariasis have been reported in people of all ages. Young children are most at risk because they are more likely to put things into their mouths and less likely to wash their hands properly. Symptoms of toxocariasis can include seizures, breathing difficulties, a very red and painful eye, and clouded vision, usually only in one eye. Left untreated, toxocariasis can cause permanent loss of vision in the affected eye.

Mutt Mitts Review From Paw Pals Pet Magazine

paw pals pet magazine logoI have definitely saved the best until last. Mutt Mitts are without doubt the best poop bag on the market. The mutt mitt is made up of a strong biodegradable bag with a scoop attached the bottom of the bag. The scoop itself is actually part of the bag. These bags are very easy to use as all you have to do is to put your hand into the bag and place the black part of the bag (the scoop) over the poop and you are easily able to pick up the poop with your hand. Whilst many bags may be awkward to pick more than one piece of poop at a time, these mitts are able to scoop many pieces using the same bag. It is an extraordinary concept on a hygiene level also. There is no fear whatsoever of poop dropping onto your hand or any part of your body for that matter. Mutt Mitts are very strong due to the fact that they are double layered so this makes them very weather resistant also. The bags themselves are not the cheapest and this is likely to be the only reason to deter people away from them. My argument however is that these bags are worth every penny as you are paying for the fact that these bags are so hygienic, of excellent quality and are so easy to use. As a dog owner who would go through the bones of 20 or so poop bags on a weekly basis, it’s a bit of an increased cost for me but it is a cost I am willing to pay rather than using paper bags which break with the smallest drop of water or light plastic bags which are not able to hold much weight without falling apart. Mutt Mitts are definitely worth the money.  

pet sitters Ireland logo

Pet Sitters Ireland 

As a Pet Sitting and Dog Walking company we use our fair share of poo bags. It’s so important that people take responsibility for their dog’s waste – as after all they can’t pick it up themselves. We tried out Muttmitts ourselves and found them to a great poo bag. I liked that they came in a resealable packet, so I don’t lose any.  They are certainly more durable than some your purchase and what I personally loved about them most was the water bowl feature. Such a handy simple way to give your dog a drink of water on the go. We think Muttmitts are just ‘Wagtastic!’ and when I heard they come in Pink we are sure that will get tails wagging!

Mutt Mitts Used 2014 - 2024

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Poop's Scooped

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Poop's Stood In

Michael
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