This letter wasn't directed to The Revelator per se, but it seemed like the appropriate place for such a query:
Is there any way that someone from the Insider could write an article on people picking up after their dogs, in a nice way, because I get so angry when I find dog doo in our yard. I have to walk out there carefully at all times, as I have stepped in the darn stuff and that makes me very angry. I don't like picking it up, either. We keep a nice front yard, so I cannot understand why people are so inconsiderate about their dogs pooping in someone's front yard. And it isn't right by the street – it is up in the yard and sometimes close to the house. I just find that rude that anyone would even allow their dogs to wander around in a person's yard. Well that is my big gripe for the century. If someone does write something about this, please do not use my name or I will be getting more poop in the yard. I have put “please” and “thank you” signs out there about not letting the dogs poop in our yard, and that doesn't work either.
We feel for you, anonymous home owner, and while we're not miracle workers, we can do a little digging to address the issue.
First, we wanted to find out whether the city has any rules about this kind of thing. Thank goodness for municode.com, home to city's code of ordinances. Chapter 12 Section 1 contained the information we were looking for: “An owner or person having custody of any dog shall not permit said dog to defecate on any private property other than the premises of the owner or person having custody of said dog.”
We contacted Deputy Chief John Duval at the police department to find out if anyone else had similar complaints. He said the department does receive calls about dogs making pit stops where they're not welcome, but points out that it's difficult to enforce because “we would need to catch the offending inpidual and dog in the act of leaving without cleaning up after. If a citizen witnesses the violation, and is willing to call and be a witness in the complaint, we would certainly proceed forward with enforcement of the ordinance.”
Short of setting up surveillance equipment, it might be tough catching the offender in the act. Come to think of it, maybe surveillance equipment is the way to go . . . Camouflaged camcorder? Sounds doable!
But what if you're not willing to go the wacky-neighbor route? We turn to Helen Nicholls, certified dog trainer and owner of No Monkey Business Dog Training. She writes, “As for the poop on the lawn, there isn't a ton you can do other than what this poor woman has already done. It isn't easy to have neighbors who are disrespectful, but unfortunately it's all in the owner, not the dog, to pick up and clean up. She could try going to a town meeting to see if they can pass an ordinance requiring that the poop be picked up, but even then, many people don't follow through. Suggestions for the dog walkers in residential areas are to always have bags and to clean up! Dogs are banned from so many places now because of those few owners that ruin it for everyone. It makes me sad. Soon, you wont be able to bring your dog anywhere!”
We can only hope that this column guilts the offending parties into picking up after their dogs, or convinces them to take Fido to the dog park to run around, instead of romping through the neighbor's lawn.
If that doesn't work, we suggest setting up a neighborhood watch for wayward pet owners. It could work, especially if everyone got matching stickers to put on their windows. Time to take a stand, we say! Or wait until it snows.
