18.2m worry about litter impact on animals, survey suggests
Zac Robinson and his dog Ellie are committed litter-pickers after a dangerous encounter.
A survey has suggested that more than 18.2 million people are worried about the impact of litter on pets and wildlife.
A YouGov survey, conducted on behalf of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, discovered that 34 per cent of adults were worried that litter in their local environment could harm wildlife. It also revealed that 16 per cent were worried about the impact on pets.
Zac Robinson and his dog Ellie were inspired to join Keep Britain Tidy’s annual Great British Spring Clean campaign after a dangerous encounter with litter.
Four years ago, while on a walk, Ellie found and picked up a full tube of superglue which had been littered. Before Zac could help her, superglue had leaked into the puppy’s mouth and begun to stick her tongue, gums and lips together.
Ellie was rushed to a veterinary practice, where an alcohol solution and deep clean was used to remove the hardened glue. She experienced further stomach issues, but has since made a full recovery.
Since the experience, Zac and Ellie have remained committed to picking up litter in their local town of Grimsby and disposing of it safely.
Zac said: “Once you start to notice litter, you see more of it everywhere. Over the next few months we noticed more and more different kinds of potential problems left on the floor.
“We also began to understand that it's not just dogs at risk on walks, it's all wildlife.”
Keep Britain Tidy says that it often hears stories about pets and wildlife being harmed by broken glass and other dangerous litter. Campaign supporter RSPCA says that it receives 10 calls a day about animals being affected by litter.
This year marks Keep Britain Tidy’s 10th Great British Spring Clean, which will take place from 21 March until 6 April. Volunteers are encouraged to pick up harmful rubbish from the streets to protect animals.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, said: “We know there’s a problem - but we also know that people-power is part of the solution. Each year the Great British Spring Clean’s fantastic, animal loving #LitterHeroes aim to change this by taking positive action to tackle litter and show they love where they live.
“This growing culture of small individual actions has added up to an enormous impact with more than four million bags pledged by our army of volunteers during the campaign since it was launched in 2016. Thank you to everyone who has been involved.”
Image © Keep Britain Tidy
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
