A popular Glasgow shopping centre has announced the end of a scheme which allowed dogs inside, after complaints about dog fouling in the building.
Silverburn Shopping Centre said last year that it would allow “canine companions” entry to a number of outlets within the mall, following a sharp rise in dog ownership across the country.
However, on Wednesday – less than four months after the scheme was launched – it announced the end of the policy.
A statement on the centre’s website read: “We found that many of our guests don’t want the centre to be accessible to dogs for a variety of reasons, and we also had low uptake from our stores, with only a quarter participating in the trial.
“For that reason, dog friendly shopping will no longer be in operation at Silverburn and we therefore ask that dog owners leave their pet at home when next visiting Silverburn.
“Assistance dogs will of course continue to be welcome.”
A spokeswoman for the business told the BBC that there had been “instances of dog fouling recorded over the trial period”.
“The comfort of our human guests and our retailers must be the priority,” the statement said.
The Pollok-based shopping centre is home to around 80 shops and 30 food outlets, with 24 agreeing to allow pet dogs inside when the scheme was initially launched in October.
At the time, it said the policy aimed to allow visitors to relax with their pets “without the anxiety of leaving them behind”.
The scheme will be slowly phased out over the next few weeks, and the centre asked visitors for their patience.
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