You may have seen them around Westhill and Elrick — little patches of pink in parks and pavements.

Don’t inspect them too closely, however: the spray paint is there to mark dog fouling.

Canine excrement is a blight on our town, putting residents’ health at risk, especially children’s.

Green Dog Walkers (GDW) is a non-confrontational, friendly way to change attitudes about dog fouling in the Aberdeenshire  area.

Volunteers wear an item of GDW merchandise, or their dogs wear the smart green GDW collar to show they have “taken the pledge” to clean up after their pet.

For more information, including how to get involved, click here.