The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
When people do bad things in our community, we often hear how they are only a few rotten apples, how most people are respectful of the rules. ThatÕs probably true in most cases, but when it comes to dog owners who let their pets poop all over sidewalks and other public properties, one has to wonder. On Tuesday afternoon I spoke to Ken Reader, a retiree who has clearly had enough of it. The friendly retiree gave me his Ôpoop tour,Õ pointing out all the places in and around his neighbourhood where piles of doo-doo have accumulated. In childrenÕs parks, along walking trails or right plop in the middle of the sidewalk, no place was off limits for thoughtless residents to let their canines Ôgo.Õ There was so much poop, in fact, that itÕs hard to believe that the guilty dog owners are in the minority. Anecdotal evidence seems to confirm this. I can think back to several occasions where IÕve seen dogs allowed to poop freely. But only once have I seen someone take the extra two seconds to scoop up the waste. The city has already been urged to crack down more heavily on this problem, but there is only so much it can do. City council could raise the fine amount from the current minimum of $100, but thereÕs still the question of how to enforce it. Citizens can report offenders to City Hall, but the requirement for that to work is twofold. First, you must actually witness a dog owner doing the deed Ð not easy since, IÕm sure, these individuals are careful to wait until no one can see them. Second, you would have to know the culprit. Last summer when I saw a 40-something man walk away from his houndÕs mess, I had no idea who he was and had no way of finding out. Even if I knew his identity, what was to stop him from simply denying his actions? It would be one personÕs word against anotherÕs. Then what? Go to court over doo-doo? The true solution lie in reaching the offendersÕ conscience. These people need to know that they are detracting from the look and appeal of our proud community. They need to appreciate how they are turning our walking spaces into a disgusting mess. Dog doo-doo is not the end of the world, but it is something that takes away from our quality of life, if only in a seemingly mundane way. So come on, dog owners. Take the moment to scoop up what Rover is leaving behind. You have no idea how much the rest of us will appreciate it. Local Angle runs Fridays.
