Admin
October 6th, 2005, 13:18
In my 15 years over the road, although I’ve seen many dog owners, I’ve only seen one person do it-and it was a 4-wheeler!
I had a neighbor who was a particular pain in the pants about this. When I was home on FMLA time, I watched this guy.
Every morning at 7am and every evening at 7pm, you could set your watch by it, this guy would walk his little wiener-dog down our street, allow the animal to defecate wherever he pleased and simply walk away from it as though it never happened.
The thing that annoyed me to no end is, he lived on the next street over!
Finally one evening, I’d had enough.
I watched him walking his pooch down our street, sure enough the dog squatted and dropped his payload in a neighbors yard.
I watched the owner, he looked at me and simply walked away-now was the time for action.
I went into my utility room, grabbed a shovel and scooped the mess up, walking to his home with grit and determination in my stride.
As a police officer would, I knocked on his door with the unmistakable knock of someone who knows you are home and isn’t leaving until you answer.
He came to the door and I began wondering as to the wisdom of my decision because it’s funny, he didn’t look this big from across the street, but as he drew closer, it was clear that I’m a pretty big boy, but this guy was a monster! I thought I might have to use the poop-stained shovel as a weapon.
When he opened the screen door, I held the evidence up and told him that I had something that belonged to him.
He said “that wasn’t mine” at which point, I experienced the frustration and outrage of the guy who has caught someone in a bare-faced lie.
I told him the he knew It was from his dog, he was just over on my street and he saw me watching him let his dog mess in someone else’s yard and just walk away. I also told him that I had his schedule down and had seen him do it before.
“We have a law in this town, sir!, you must clean up after your dog!”
He pleaded ignorance and I handed him the pamphlet from Virginia Beach Animal Control.
Then the recriminations started about “everyone else” doing it.
“I’m not dealing with them right now, I’m dealing with you. Would you like it if I brought a dog over her to dump in your yard?”
I went on to say, you don’t allow your dog to mess in your yard because you don’t want to clean it up, but why should anyone else have to clean the mess out of their yard left by your dog”?
After a good verbal thrashing about health concerns, sanitation and simple, common courtesy, I think I was able to impress upon him that if he didn’t curb his dog, or at least walk it in his own yard, there would be consequences.
He acquiesced and said he’d clean it up from now on and I told him, “I’m not kidding with you, warning this time, warrant next time.”
I’d take a day off work to go to court over that and here’s why.
Dog feces, besides being stuck to your shoe or tracked into your truck, home or car can be a hazard for other pets and humans alike.
The most hazardous can be Parvovirus that not only can be transmitted to other dogs when the feces is there, it can contaminate the ground for a period of six months to a depth of 18 inches.
Having seen dogs suffer from Parvovirus and have to be euthanized is not an experience I would recommend to any pet lover.
Not only that, tapeworm, hookworm and a whole host of other canine diseases can be transmitted to other pets visiting the area and if a barefoot child steps into the mess, they can end up with some of these diseases and ailments as well.
Dogs sometimes have intestinal worms, which can cause problems if the eggs or infective larvae are transmitted to people. The effects can include local irritation at the site of infection in the case of hookworms or damage to the eyes or cysts in the lungs if the case of roundworms. These are rare problems but they do occur and it is wise to avoid contact with dog stools due to this.
Cats may also transmit Toxoplasmosis through their stools. This can cause serious problems. If a woman is infected during pregnancy and can lead to neurological disease or eye damage in humans.
It is also a fact that in virtually every county, town or city you visit, it’s the law that you must clean up your pet’s droppings and dispose of it properly.
Too many times I have seen pet owners let their pets out, many times in areas where there is heavy foot-traffic, allow their dogs to do their business and simply leave it for others to step in or clean up.
That is most certainly a violation of local law, discourteous to your fellow drivers, to their pets and just plain rude!
Like my neighbor, you may try to rationalize it all you like by citing “well, I can’t follow him” or “I haven’t go the time”, the fact of the matter is, you should be cleaning up after your dog and if you haven’t got the time, you need to make the extra 3-5 minutes happen.
Chances are, if you’re that pressed for time, you’re probably going to be late anyway.
If you are one of the responsible pet owners who cleans up other peoples property of your pet’s mess, good for you! You are taking responsibility for your pets care and respecting the property of others.
If you’re not cleaning up after your pet, I can’t make you. However, if your pet comes up positive for a canine disease, I would be willing to bet where he got it-probably from another driver who didn’t clean up after their dog.
Unfortunately, much of the misfortune that befalls our pets is visited on them by humans and your pet will pay the price.
In the meantime, if you step out of your cab onto the running board and into something that your dog left in the grass, chances are you’ll be angry, but you’ll only to have yourself to blame…..
After all, it DID come from YOUR dog and no one made you leave it for others to return to you.
UNCLE FESTER
www.CatRescueInc.org
www.PortsmouthHumaneSociety.org
I had a neighbor who was a particular pain in the pants about this. When I was home on FMLA time, I watched this guy.
Every morning at 7am and every evening at 7pm, you could set your watch by it, this guy would walk his little wiener-dog down our street, allow the animal to defecate wherever he pleased and simply walk away from it as though it never happened.
The thing that annoyed me to no end is, he lived on the next street over!
Finally one evening, I’d had enough.
I watched him walking his pooch down our street, sure enough the dog squatted and dropped his payload in a neighbors yard.
I watched the owner, he looked at me and simply walked away-now was the time for action.
I went into my utility room, grabbed a shovel and scooped the mess up, walking to his home with grit and determination in my stride.
As a police officer would, I knocked on his door with the unmistakable knock of someone who knows you are home and isn’t leaving until you answer.
He came to the door and I began wondering as to the wisdom of my decision because it’s funny, he didn’t look this big from across the street, but as he drew closer, it was clear that I’m a pretty big boy, but this guy was a monster! I thought I might have to use the poop-stained shovel as a weapon.
When he opened the screen door, I held the evidence up and told him that I had something that belonged to him.
He said “that wasn’t mine” at which point, I experienced the frustration and outrage of the guy who has caught someone in a bare-faced lie.
I told him the he knew It was from his dog, he was just over on my street and he saw me watching him let his dog mess in someone else’s yard and just walk away. I also told him that I had his schedule down and had seen him do it before.
“We have a law in this town, sir!, you must clean up after your dog!”
He pleaded ignorance and I handed him the pamphlet from Virginia Beach Animal Control.
Then the recriminations started about “everyone else” doing it.
“I’m not dealing with them right now, I’m dealing with you. Would you like it if I brought a dog over her to dump in your yard?”
I went on to say, you don’t allow your dog to mess in your yard because you don’t want to clean it up, but why should anyone else have to clean the mess out of their yard left by your dog”?
After a good verbal thrashing about health concerns, sanitation and simple, common courtesy, I think I was able to impress upon him that if he didn’t curb his dog, or at least walk it in his own yard, there would be consequences.
He acquiesced and said he’d clean it up from now on and I told him, “I’m not kidding with you, warning this time, warrant next time.”
I’d take a day off work to go to court over that and here’s why.
Dog feces, besides being stuck to your shoe or tracked into your truck, home or car can be a hazard for other pets and humans alike.
The most hazardous can be Parvovirus that not only can be transmitted to other dogs when the feces is there, it can contaminate the ground for a period of six months to a depth of 18 inches.
Having seen dogs suffer from Parvovirus and have to be euthanized is not an experience I would recommend to any pet lover.
Not only that, tapeworm, hookworm and a whole host of other canine diseases can be transmitted to other pets visiting the area and if a barefoot child steps into the mess, they can end up with some of these diseases and ailments as well.
Dogs sometimes have intestinal worms, which can cause problems if the eggs or infective larvae are transmitted to people. The effects can include local irritation at the site of infection in the case of hookworms or damage to the eyes or cysts in the lungs if the case of roundworms. These are rare problems but they do occur and it is wise to avoid contact with dog stools due to this.
Cats may also transmit Toxoplasmosis through their stools. This can cause serious problems. If a woman is infected during pregnancy and can lead to neurological disease or eye damage in humans.
It is also a fact that in virtually every county, town or city you visit, it’s the law that you must clean up your pet’s droppings and dispose of it properly.
Too many times I have seen pet owners let their pets out, many times in areas where there is heavy foot-traffic, allow their dogs to do their business and simply leave it for others to step in or clean up.
That is most certainly a violation of local law, discourteous to your fellow drivers, to their pets and just plain rude!
Like my neighbor, you may try to rationalize it all you like by citing “well, I can’t follow him” or “I haven’t go the time”, the fact of the matter is, you should be cleaning up after your dog and if you haven’t got the time, you need to make the extra 3-5 minutes happen.
Chances are, if you’re that pressed for time, you’re probably going to be late anyway.
If you are one of the responsible pet owners who cleans up other peoples property of your pet’s mess, good for you! You are taking responsibility for your pets care and respecting the property of others.
If you’re not cleaning up after your pet, I can’t make you. However, if your pet comes up positive for a canine disease, I would be willing to bet where he got it-probably from another driver who didn’t clean up after their dog.
Unfortunately, much of the misfortune that befalls our pets is visited on them by humans and your pet will pay the price.
In the meantime, if you step out of your cab onto the running board and into something that your dog left in the grass, chances are you’ll be angry, but you’ll only to have yourself to blame…..
After all, it DID come from YOUR dog and no one made you leave it for others to return to you.
UNCLE FESTER
www.CatRescueInc.org
www.PortsmouthHumaneSociety.org