We all know how much our pets need outdoor exercise. They, just like ourselves, love fresh air, sunshine, time to enjoy a quick walk or romp at the park. And we all know the importance of carrying and using our dog waste bags when they attend to their usual business while outside. But who decides not to use these dog poop bags? Who will not pick up the dog poop? You have probably all witnessed these scenes.
1) “I didn’t see anything.” We’ve all seen this person. As their pet starts to squat and poop, they will quickly look in the opposite direction and continue speed walking, sometimes dragging their pooch right along with them. With the intention of getting as far away from the waste as possible, hoping that no one will think it belongs to their dog.
2) Pretend to search for their dog poop bags. If it is apparent that others have noticed that the owner has witnessed their dog making a mess, then of course they will act. They will look at the mess and make the motions of searching for a poop bags, sort of like when you realize that you don’t have your wallet at the check-out counter. Then they will loudly exclaim “My goodness, I must have left them in the car. Common boy, let’s go get the dog waste bags”. And off they will go to their car, get in and drive off, leaving the dog poop for someone else to step in.
3) The Important Man. And yes, this is usually a man. He will probably be on a cell phone talking very loudly. He will have that all-important air about him. When his pet does his duty, he will look down, continue talking and then just walk away like it never happened. This owner and his dog are more important than anyone else on the planet and his pet can do whatever he wants wherever he wants, just like himself. “Dog poop bags?
What in the world are those?”
4) The Rich Lady. She assumes that someone else is paid to take care of things like this. Her thoughts are usually “Don’t I already pay someone to take care of this? Like those men in the orange vests who are mowing the lawns. I’m sure they take care of things like this”. She probably doesn’t usually even walk her little pooch – she has usually paid someone else to do this. So she is probably a kind soul, just unknowledgeable and unprepared.
I’m sure you can think of more. How about: “I’m a doctor.” Or: “It’s not on the path.” Or maybe: “You can’t expect a dog to read the signs.” It is good that this isn’t us. Our job is to educate. And our job is to call people out. Sometimes loudly. To explain that this rule is not optional – it is the law.
Education is the tool that we need. Dog waste is hazardous to our health and the health of our pets. Dog waste is a pollutant as it threatens our rivers, lakes and beaches. And dog waste is a real pain to step in. The simple solution is to use dog waste bags and a dog waste bags carrier to safely, conveniently and discreetly fulfill our responsibilities as dog owners.
As responsible dog owners we must make sure our dogs get the exercise that they need. When they must take a moment to do their business, then we must respect our neighbors, avoid fines, protect our environment and safely and hygienically clean up after our pets. Scooping up our dog’s waste is easily done by picking it up in a plastic bag, sanitizing our hands, and then safely carrying the dog waste bag in a dog waste bags carrier.