What Do You Do About Dog Doo?

I worked a long day yesterday, starting at 6 in the morning.  After a detailed conference call in the afternoon, I decided to step out my back door to soak up some sun and clear my head.  It proved to be impossible when I stepped directly into dog doo left by an inconsiderate neighbor.

I was wearing a pair of Bass leather loafers and felt completely grossed out.  My privacy and sanctuary had been invaded.  To make a long story short, I told the neighbor and insisted my shoes and area be cleaned.

At first she tried to make a joke and say stepping in dog poop was good luck.  I disagreed. While we made attempts to be polite, clearly this will put a strain on our relationship.  After all, it is my yard and dog doo doesn't belong right outside my back door. It's rude and inconsiderate, there are no excuses.  I am thankful my kids did not step in it or worse yet, fall in it.

She did not have her dog on a leash, which is a requirement around here.  Further, people are supposed to carry a bag to pick up the poop if an accident happens.  Clearly, she was lazy or felt she should have special privileges.  Not the case!

Years ago, I lived in a house near a park for children.  Every morning, I woke up to find a smelly deposit on my front lawn.  Since I wake up very early, I knew it had to be an extreme early bird who left the mess.  I woke up an hour earlier than usual and found an elderly man from up the block bringing his dog to my garden to defecate.  I shouted out and asked what he was doing.  It never happened again.

Instead, the man decided to let his dog go inside the park in the area where children went on the swings and slide.  I was mortified and contacted the town.  A sign was put up and he wound up getting fined.  Finally, he kept his dog in his own yard.  I have no idea whether he cleaned it up or let it lie around to stink up the air in the area.  All I know it is was awful to purposely have your dog poop where little kids play (and could even pick it up if they did not know better).

The bottom line is I love our furry, four-footed friends and family members.  Last week, I went to a pet blessing at our local church to have our lovable lionhead rabbit blessed.  He is adorable and had so much fun!  All the kids petted him and gave him attention.  We have a special harness and leash for rabbits so he is always safe.  We also brought a towel to wrap him in, just in case he had to urinate or defecate (thankfully, he did not).

All types of pets should be properly cared for and leashed when appropriate to protect them and others.  Failing to provide an area for them to do their business is confusing and leads to unsanitary conditions.  If they are not leashed in public, they could get hurt or run out into traffic and get killed.

I have had all kinds of pets over the years including big and little dogs, cats, frogs, turtles, aw heck, just about everything.  Pets involve attention, commitment and consideration toward others. If you want your dogs to run free, there are dog runs and dog parks where it is allowed.

Further, why let your dog poop somewhere else?  It reminds me of the people who throw garbage out their car windows so their vehicle looks clean.  They have no respect for the world around them or where it lands.  The same holds true for pet owners who let their animal run wild and poop anywhere.  If they don't like cleaning it up, they should not have a pet.

Have you ever accidentally stepped in dog doo?  Did you ever have inconsiderate neighbors who let their dogs go anywhere?  What did you do about it?  It's really a crappy situation.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons