A DOG from North Ayrshire has been chosen to be the face of an environmental charity’s upcoming campaign.

Oscha, a five-year-old golden retriever from Irvine, won his spot as a ‘doggy ambassador’ for Keep Scotland Beautiful’s My Beach, Your Beach campaign.

Gaining an impressive 33 per cent of the 330 votes from the charity’s Facebook competition, Oscha won against 23 other entrants.

The campaign hopes to raise awareness of the environmental impact of leaving dog foul on beaches, encouraging dog owners to pick up dog foul and hopefully improving water quality.

Keep Scotland Beautiful campaign officer Emma Glencross said: “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.

“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.

“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.”

As an ambassador Oscha will feature in online campaigns for Keep Scotland Beautiful.

The campaign focuses on areas where water quality is an issue, with Ayr, Troon, Irvine, Saltcoats, and Ardrossan among the beaches the charity hopes to improve.

For more information on the campaign, visit the Keep Scotland Beautiful website.