An adorable Ayrshire pooch has been crowned the ambassador for the west coast My Beach Your Beach campaign.
Oscha, a five-year-old Golden Retriever from Irvine won the title by winning 33 percent of votes in a Facebook photo competition.
Jennifer Pless, Oscha's dog mum, was thrilled when she heard the news her furry companion won.
She said: “Oscha regularly joins me in litter picks as we try to keep the beach clean and safe for all to enjoy.”
The My Beach, Your Beach campaign aims to support bathing water quality improvements at beaches and raise awareness of the potential impact caused by dog fouling.
Dog poo can contribute to bathing water contamination so the bag it and bin it message is extra important at beaches included in the campaign, so that they can maintain their bathing water quality status.
Keep Scotland Beautiful Campaign Officer Emma Glencross, said: "The vast majority of dog owners are responsible. Simply ensuring that they have a dog poo bag with them when out for a walk and keep an eye on their dog, so they can be sure to ‘bag it and bin it’ when it’s their time to go makes a huge difference. Leaving dog poo on the beach where children play and people have picnics is thoughtless. The tide can also carry left dog poo into the sea where people swim.
"Having a dog poo bag floating in the water whilst having a dip would definitely ruin the experience. In areas where bathing water quality is already under threat, something like this can tip it over the edge.
“We are delighted that Oscha is lending himself to the campaign and hope that by setting a good example, the minority with careless habits will follow suit. We all have a part to play in protecting the sand and sea.”
The beaches the campaign will focus on are: Ayr, Troon, Irvine, Saltcoats/Ardrossan on the west coast, and Portobello, Fisherrow Sands and Kinghorn Harbour on the east.
To find out more about My Beach, Your Beach and the simple habits that can help protect bathing water quality and our beautiful beaches, visit the campaign homepage. https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/community-and-place/my-beach-your-beach/
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