Fifer Freya is new doggy ambassador for Scottish beautiful beach campaign

Freya, a three-year-old Great Dane, is the new doggy ambassador for the east coast in Keep Scotland Beautiful’s ‘My Beach Your Beach’ campaign.

It aims to promote responsible dog ownership, and remind dog owners to make sure to always ‘bag it and bin it’ in order to keep the sand and sea clean for everyone to enjoy.

Freya’s photo will be used as part of campaign which spans seven beaches - including Kinghorn Ayr, Troon, Irvine, Saltcoats and Ardrossan, Portobello, Fisherrow and Kinghorn.

Karol Paterson, Freya’s owner, said: “Freya loves to visit our local beach to play on the sand and in the sea.

“Kinghorn beach is very popular with both dogs and people, so it’s important we all do our bit to keep it clean and tidy.

“We always make sure we have a supply of poo bags with us so that we can bag it and bin it. “I’m delighted that Freya is going to be the My Beach Your Beach Doggy Ambassador and help other owners to remember to do the right thing.”

Polling carried out by the charity in 2020 found that 51% of people at My Beach Your Beach campaign locations thought that dog poo was an issue. Alongside this, enviroment agency, SEPA, found that dog poo can have an impact on measures of bathing water quality.

Georgina Massouraki, campaigns officer commented: “The vast majority of dog owners are responsible so hopefully, a bit of peer pressure from a local pooch will help bring the rest on board to ensure that dog poo is never left on the beach or anywhere else.”

“We all have a part to play in keeping our bathing waters clean, to ensure a positive experience for locals and visitors alike.”

My Beach Your Beach also reminds beach goers to always put their litter in the bin or take it home. It also highlights habits indoors that can cause blocked pipes, impacting on the bathing water quality at some of Scotland’s most popular beaches.

The campaign is funded by the Scottish Government and supported by SEPA.

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