Wednesday, June 9, 2010

PUPPY LOVERS, SHOW SOME LOVE

There’s nothing like walking out of your front door and stepping into a fresh puddle of pee compliments of one of your neighbor’s best friends. We guess the thinking here is that it’s not like Scooter left a pile of poop for you to slide in.

Growing up in Brooklyn, we used to sit on the stoop on warm summer nights. Our neighbors used to curb their dogs. Granted, at the time there were no scoop the poop laws but at least we could sit on the stoop in peace.

What’s up with puppy lovers? Some seem to have a hard time getting the bag of poop to a garbage can. One friend had to actually put a sign up on a tree in front of his house asking dog owners to stop throwing their poop bags in front of his house. Sanitation workers aren’t obliged, nor should they be, to pick them up.

When Yvette pointed out to a neighbor that she shouldn’t let her dog urinate in the flowerbed surrounding a tree, the neighbor replied, “He has a tumor. It’s not like he’s doing it all over the place.” We’re sorry for her pet’s illness but relieving himself in the flower patch is not the cure. And there is nothing more unpleasant when a dog leaves a trail of loose bowels on the street. It’s the duty of the owner to clean up the mess as best they can.

Respect your neighbor’s soles. Just because you’re going to pick up your dog’s poop doesn’t mean they can do it any old place. Dogs should be encouraged to do their business as close to the curb as possible in the city and in the suburbs where we understand neighbor’s think nothing of walking their dogs on someone else’s lawn. (They say the grass is always greener, this must be the case.)

Dog lovers, it’s time to own your pet’s poop and pee.

3 comments:

Miles Ladin said...

Thanks for this great etiquette advice!
My parents live on Sutton Place
in a maisonette and have been dealing
with this issue for years. They allow their poochs'
to lift their leg a foot from their front door!
"Do unto others"!

Anonymous said...

Love it. K

Elizabeth said...

YES!
And it's foul to let your dog pee on garbage bags - the poor sanitation workers have enough crap to deal with than having to lift a bag that drips all over them!
I had to scold a woman directly in front of our door steps who left her dog's diarrhea all over the sidewalk. "Well, I don't have a bag!" was her response. Then let your dog stay at home and do his/her business there!