h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Good Entry Mort.

It's dog owners that allow their dog to foul anywhere, and don't clean it up, that gives all dog owners a 'bad name'.

Though, I can see the problem with the elderly or disabled not being able to clear up after their dogs, there's no excuse for the able- bodied.

It's not just the pavements where this can be a problem, in parks too, where children play.

Most of the dog poo bins in the park near where I live have been removed, due to teenagers getting the bags of poo out, and emptying the contents onto park equipment.

Emmily

Thanks Emmily!

Why on earth would...I am not even going to ask. All I can say is when I was younger I got bored but never *that* bored

You are right, it is such a tiny percentage of people that make the rest of dog owners get a bad reputation. I have seen the most snooty/stuck up/snobby people, that look down on everybody else for eating with their fingers, have absolutely no qualms about cleaning up after their dogs.

Just as drinking and driving, spitting etc are all now deemed as unacceptable by society and peers, cleaning up after dogs is also becoming a social 'no-no' and eventually people will be embarassed into doing it. Which is a shame that they can't do it through their own responsibility - especially when the bags are free. It is such a small thing to do afterall.

I want to suggest dog owners* to catch dog poop with newspaper before the poop touches to the ground.

Do you know why they don't pick up? Because they do not like direct contact with the poop through a plastic bag. You can see a new concept at: http://www.goodpooch.com/ISSUES/etiquette.htm , http://www.doggiepoopcatcher.com/ , http://www.jjglobalbusiness.com/pictures.html and http://www.twodogpress.com/twodogpress/chavez.html for more information.
Good luck.

(*) http://www.usatoday.com/news/science/2002-06-07-dog-usat.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/articles/2004/09/15/dog_officer_feature.shtml

I must admit I hate picking it up when it's warm. In the garden I use a cat litter fork thing, and a an old squash bottle. Not so handy when you're out, but it has to be done.

Picking up dog mess isn't a faux pas - what's really wrong is expecting some other poor soul to pick up after your dog! A kid pointed at me the other day and told me it was "disgusting" for me to pick up after my pooch, my response was that it would be more disgusting for a kid to get it on their shoes or hands.

A new thing around by me is for dog owners to pick up the mess but then leave the bags - because there are few bins around. Must be the same people who have a picnic in the countryside and then leave their litter behind!

Oh, yes, we've seen that at one of the places we take our dog(s). Trees and bushes decorated with different coloured plastic bags. You couldn't see them before autumn, but once the leaves dropped, there they were, and they look pretty awful.

Emmily