Dogs are one of the animal world’s most efficient poopers. They can stop, drop and walk off in 15 seconds.
Why is that a problem? Because if you, the dog’s human companion, are on a walk and you don’t keep a close watch on the doggy discharges, Rover will quickly leave a doodie truffle on your neighbor’s lawn without you being aware. Your neighbor is aware because they are looking at you through their window and thinking about returning the deposit in your mailbox.
This problem is worse when someone is walking their dog off-leash, has more than one dog, or worse, multiple dogs off-leash. Some neighbors are just not paying close enough attention these days. If your three unleashed dogs are running around the park, you may witness and pick up four out of the six bum biscuits, but the others are left for the pre-teen girls’ soccer team to stomp on. Then they track the shoe poo back to their parents’ kitchen floor.
And stop walking your dog(s) off-leash. Yes, we get it, you are convinced your off- leash dog is the universe’s friendliest creature since lambs and lions laid down together. You think your out-of-control dog hightailing from 50 yards away to pounce on my leashed dog should be the highlight of our day. No.
My dog is afraid, I have to pick her up, and she will be shaking until we get far away from your Cujo. You’ve ruined our walk. So stop staring at your phone and reading the latest mango-infused IPA influencer post, and take your dog to an off-leash park.
Off-leash dogs and piles of marooned poop are the most frequent complaints heard about Curtis Park dog owners.
Come on, neighbors – we can do better. Just keep them on a leash, and look at your furry friend more frequently.
And don’t get us started about barking.
SCNA board member John Mathews is chair of the Neighborhood Concerns Committee.