Who Are These People Who Don’t Pick Up Their Dog’s Poop?

I don’t know who the people are who don’t pick up their dog’s poop but I know they exist because of the abandoned dog poop piles I see everywhere.

I find abandoned dog poop piles more often in the City than I do in the woods… and a lot of times sitting in the middle of the sidewalk.

Yes, Yes I did take an actual photo of abandoned dog poop for this post.
Yes, Yes I did take an actual photo of abandoned dog poop for this post.

What do some people tell themselves to make leaving dog poop on the ground ok?

  • Do they live in a vacuum so they don’t know leaving dog poop on the ground is rude and people can accidentally step in it?
  • Do they not know pet waste contaminates stream and lake water and can make people sick?
  • Do they know and just not care?
  • What about the person who lets their dog poop in someone else’s yard and leaves it? What are they thinking?

Reasons People Don’t Pick Up Their Dog Poop

I haven’t seen the people that just walk away from their dog’s poop so that also means I haven’t talked with them.

However, I worked in the field of water quality protection for 10 years so I’ve done a lot of research and guessing about what the issue is.

I think these are the reasons people don’t pick up their dog poop:

  1. They think dog poop is natural. (It’s not, especially in the quantities that are generated by our pets, and harms the environment and threatens public health.)
  2. They think that picking up dog poop is gross
  3. They forgot a poop bag
  4. They don’t want to carry the poop bag with them on their walk, hike, or run
  5. It’s not a law to pick up their dog’s poop where they live (or they don’t know it is a law so they think they don’t have to or it’s not that important).
  6. They are completely self-absorbed and think they are the only people on the planet (kidding…kind of. Ha, ha)
Poop sign 1

How Can We Encourage People to Pick Up Their Dog’s Poop?

So how do we encourage these people to change their habits and start picking up their dog’s poop?

Let’s think through some ideas.

Confronting the person

Let’s say you did see the person start to walk away from their dog’s poop.

Albeit a bit passive-aggressive, I have found it effective to suddenly appear with a poop bag and state something like,

“Man, I know what is is like to forget my poop bags at home. I had someone save me once so I want to pay it forward.”

One could also take a more confrontational, educational approach.

No one likes to be told they are wrong so this is a touchy one.

You could approach them and “nicely” let them know that they are making a bad name for other dog owners or educate them on the law or the health/environmental impact.

Put up signs

If the offender is someone who is letting their dog poop in your yard and leaving it, there are several ways I have seen people deal with this.

On the more subtle end of the scale, I have seen people post signs in their yard that say “no pooping” or “Please pick up after your pet”.

If you see the person doing it, you can ask them to please pick up the dog poop.

There are a couple off little more obvious things you could do too.

Shame people

You could place flags on each pile of poop with a message on them like, “my neighbor left this in my yard” it hopes of shaming the person when they walk by your yard and see it.

Send them some dog poop bags

I also think it is a great idea to get their address (say, if you know which house they live it…and, yes, I think it is ok to subtly stalk them to find this out) and mail them a box of poop bags.

PoopBuddy

Give their dog poop back

I don’t condone this one but I have heard of people scooping up a bunch of dog poop and placing it in the middle the offender’s porch.

Use peer pressure

What about all of those people who you don’t see leave dog poop on the ground? How do we reach these people?

I have worked for many years in water quality and spent much effort trying to educate people about the dangers that pet waste pose to human health and the environment.

I have also spent some time trying to make people understand that picking up your pet waste is a law (it is where I live).

I like to think that my efforts had some impact on the problem but I am sure it was pretty limited.

Really, no one likes people telling them what to do.

Helping people to understand the dangers of leaving on the ground is a limited message.

In the environmental education world, it is understood that those kinds of messages only touch people who:

  1. Care about the environment and already pick up their pet waste (enforcing that they should do it ALL of the time)
  2. Thinking about it but need a few more messages to push them over the edge….called “brownies” ironically).

According to a survey completed by Snohomish County Public Works and The Washington State Department of Ecology, dog owners are more likely to pick up pet waste in public if they feel peer pressure or embarrassment.

Because of that study, I started to think of other ways that the “pick up the poo” message could be presented.

I once convinced my boss to let me create a “I pick up my dog poop” sticker that we could give away at a local doggy festival.

People could post these stickers on their trash can for public display so others lving in or passing through their neighborhood might feel some peer pressure.

I also though of starting a website or Facebook page where people could post photos of pet waste that had not been picked up with the location listed so people might fear being embarrassed for leaving a pile.

I didn’t go down the second road because I thought, who wants to look at lots of photos of dog poop? I am not sure even I want to do that 🙂

Well, it’s been almost 2 years since I had that idea and looky what I found last week – A website called Pictures of Dog Doo Doo!

The blog’s tagline says “PoDDD is an international community to share, discuss, and sometimes laugh at pictures of dog doo-doo”.

It takes a funny look at the business of dog business in the news and around the web. It also highlights videos, the best poop signs seen and Tweets about dog poop.

I hope this new site (looks like it was started in March 2013) gains some traction and popularity because I think it’s a fun way to get the scoop the poop message and might impart an element of peer pressure in those that stumble across it.

Sno Co pet waste 1

Final Thoughts

Whether it be in your yard, where you can step in it, where it can transfer bacteria to humans and make them sick, or where it can contaminate water and close beaches, it’s frustrating when dog owners leave poop on the ground.

Unfortunately, there is no proven solution that will convince everyone to start cleaning up after their dog.

There is hope that a few people can be reached though through various methods that range from being helpful to being confrontational.

Studies have shown that the easiest people to reach are those that are aware of the issues with not picking up pet waste, and have thought about it, but are not doing it yet.

The things that might be the tipping point for these people is peer pressure.

If a person believes other people think that picking up their dog poop is the right thing do do, and may be watching, they are more likely to do it.

Sure, maybe the motivation is out of guilt or embarrassment rather than simply wanting to do the right thing but I don’t care.

The thing that matters to me is that dog waste is disposed of properly so it doesn’t get on my shoe or contaminate our waterways.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Jessica. I’ve been studying the Dachshund breed since 2007, owned 3 of my own, and shared in the lives of thousands of others through their owner’s stories. When I’m not sharing what I know on this blog, you can find me hiking, camping, and traveling with my adventurous wiener dogs.

130 Comments

  1. Great ideas! I saw a neighbor digging through another neighbors recycling bin and thought it was very odd until I saw her start to use what she had gotten out to bend down and clean-up. I immediately offered her a bag and also told her she was awesome. We became fast friends. While sitting in the grass at a pocket park last week, I offered a man who seemed to be walking away from his dogs pile and he snapped “I have one.” He did return after strolling the park to clean it up, glaring at me as he did. It’s funny how offers can go both ways but the result’s the same and that’s what matters!

    1. I am glad you spoke up. I know it is not easy. I “know” by imagining though because, as I said, I have never SEEN anyone leave poop before. I wish that I would just once but I bet I won’t be as kind to that person as I should. They will get the brunt of years of pent-up frustration. Ha, ha.

      My friend has seen people try to leave their dog’s poo in front of her house and she yells at them.

      1. Very good ideas! I agree with all of them. I am a rabid picker-upper! I always take 2 bags just in case. Now, how about CATS! Weeding my garden and get a handful of stinky cat poop is NASTY!! Cat owners think absolutely nothing about their pet leaving “presents” for us to find.

        1. Yes, cat poop is a whole ‘nother ball of….well….poop 🙂 The issues are the same as with dogs but the cat issue is more complicated because they roam free. I would not be surprised to see the issue being addresses someday. I know it is already being mumbled about among the water quality professional circles.

      2. One lady lives in my apartment building a couple doors down up on the top floor, was given a dog to take care of and she’s had it for a little over a year now, she doesn’t keep her dog on a leash and she lets her dog poop all over our yard and as a result of tha and as a result of that, my fiance ended up tracking in poop last night on to a rug that was given to me for my birthday last year, so that my son wouldn’t get into it who happens to be about 13 months old and get sick and that was a favorite rug of mine. She doesn’t have respect for anybody and when you tell her to pick up the poop she gets all defensive back so he’s going to say something to her my she should pick up her dog poop but I don’t know if that’s going to work considering she gets all defensive and it keeps happening. And my landlord usually when I go to him with these problem and my landlord usually when I go to him with these problems all he says is well we have to catch her in the act. How do you catch someone in the act, meaning the landlord, when he’s never around?

        1. You need to smear that stuff under the door handles on her car, and all over her doorknobs to her house.

          If that wont work, throw it back into her yard where she walks, or even throw it right at her.

    2. I have surveillance cameras so I can usually figure out who left the poop and usually I try a couple of different approaches, I find that people who leave poop are sneaky and will try to do so off camera, they don’t realize I spent good money on my cameras and they see far so I see them. So when I notice the offender return for their next stroll I wait outside my property and politely tell them not to take their dog into my yard as a toilet, my kids play in the yard and don’t need to step in it plus their dog peeing on my flowers and lawn decorations inspires every other dog and cat to pee on that scent so please move along. Sometimes they get the hint leave politely and not come back sometimes they move only a few paces still on my property, I tell them that is not good enough and that they have already been politely asked to move along, if they don’t move or offer any lip service to me I tell them I will just call the cops next time I see them on my property since they are clearly trespassing (*I have no trespassing signs, you need these to enforce trespassing laws). Another approach I took with a neighbor who thought it was okay to walk his huge dog and leave piles of poo the size of horse doo in the road up the street was to leave him a note, stating being a responsible pet owner wasn’t that hard you just pick up the poo and put it in a bag, that if I can do it he can too and that it isn’t my responsibility nor anyone else’s to do it for him, & I would no longer throw it away in my barrel, so if I find one more piece on the street I would start leaving it in piles on his front walk for him. Problem solved. Definitely pays to know who they are and where they live.

      1. I like that your approach is firm but not overly rude (I assume you are not swearing at them when you have these conversations. Ha, ha).

  2. Ahh I really like that passive-aggressive approach lol… One of our clients once had the vet I worked with write a letter about giardia and picking up poop to the head people at her apartment complex. Her dog was I’m having a tough time with the giardia. I’m not sure exactly what they did with the letter… pass it out?

    1. Well, I hope the apartment complex listened. Maybe the passed the flier out or tightened their enforcement.

      Education does often work with businesses…especially if you site an ordinance they are/would be in violation of. I found that the education was not as effective with individuals.

    2. For your yard offenders, I suggest a motion sensor, sniper sprinkler that sprays high pressure water directly at them when they enter your property.

      1. BAHAHAHA this is the best idea I’ve ever heard for dealing with sh!tty dog owners!!! I’d be a little concerned how to keep it from spraying pedestrians on the sidewalk but like any good engineer I’ll figure it out 🙂

  3. Well, Mom doesn’t take us out in public that often but when she does, the bag goes along too.

    We’re a pack of 10 and have our own little backyard within our big backyard where we can leave our poop. Mom is out there every day…two times a day to scoop the poop. We thought we were helping to fertilize the grass, butt Mom said she likes to get outside in the sunshine and poop scooping gives her something to do…..{sigh}

    1. With 10 dogs I am not sure I would go out in public with them often either! 🙂

      Chester and Gretel poo in our back yard. My hubby and I like to eat outside when the weather is nice. We keep the poop cleaned up so we don’t have to smell it or see it (I mean, environmental reasons too but that is our big reminder to do it)).

  4. We have a neighbor who let his dog out at 4am and do his business on our yard. We tried talking nicely, putting up a sign, and scooping the poop from our yard to his. Nothing really worked.

    1. Hmmm…sounds like you tried a lot of things. It is a shame that none of it worked. If he was leaving it on a sidewalk you could maybe contact the City if he was violating and ordinance. Because he was leaving it on your personal property they probably couldn’t do much though. If there WERE repercussions for these people I am sure they would be less likely to do it.

    2. It’s one thing to have a one-time emergency at 4am and not have a bag, but to consistently do it, after specifically being told to stop, well, pardon my french but that really takes a pair of “you know whats!!” Since your neighbor has no scruples, and the polite approach didn’t work, I would start thinking like your neighbor. I would put out a motion sensing camera that would flash and take a photo whenever someone entered my yard, like they use in the woods to survey nocturnal animals. Next to it I’d probably put up a note that says this is their ONE AND ONLY warning, the next time I’ll print the photo and distribute it to everyone in the neighborhood! I don’t know if it’s legal, but if you “advise” the neighbor in advance, I’m guessing you’re safe. It might be wrong, but I’m guessing it will be very effective!

    3. This happens so much in my neighborhood . I have two dogs I walk daily. I pickup after them and am so tired of going outside and seeing a big pile in my yard that I have to clean up. I am afraid if I did catch the person doing this I would get arrested. Inconsiderate, rude disgusting people!

  5. Too funny that you mentioned PoopBuddy because we are featuring them today on Dakota’s blog for the second time (and we are having a give-away!) Hoping that people will enter to win these great bags!
    I live in an apt/condo complex and I have a neighbor who I ALWAYS see taking her dog out (that lives here part time) and she NEVER, EVER, EVER picks up her poop. There are 3 other dogs in the building and I am certain that her mind-set is that someone else will pick it up for her, which WE always do, because no way would we leave it laying there!

    1. I don’t understand people who think that way. Perhaps she is thinking that SHE doesn’t think it is a problem and if someone else has a problem with it they can just pick it up themselves. Sheesh.

      I saw your PoopBuddy giveaway. I am not entering because I am drowning in poop bags but I did share the giveaway on YDWWYW and on a twitter profile I manage for an animal rescue.

  6. I’ll admit that I used to think that it was natural and not a big deal. We would go on trails and our dogs would poop off the trails in the tall grass. I overheard someone complaining about not being able to walk without stepping in poo and I felt terrible. There are so many people where I live who have the same attitude and since so many people let their dogs off leash, they can say “I don’t know where it is,” or “I tried to find it, but couldn’t.” I’ve started picking up our dogs’ poo, because I do get the frustration of trying to clean your shoes before getting in your car.

    I hope that people seeing me picking up poo will follow my lead. I always carry plenty of bags with me to hand out just in case someone forgets to bring one.

    1. Oooohhhh…that makes me doubly mad! On almost all hiking trails in Washington, leashes are required. Some people think it doesn’t apply to them and they ignore it (off leash dogs are an entirely different rant!). THEN they claim they can’t pick up their dog’s poop because they did it off trail and they can’t find it. That is part of the reason your dog is supposed to be leashed people!! Don’t disobey a law so you can fiend helplessness in regard to another law. Sheesh.

      1. I get where everyone is coming from, but that doesn’t make it right. It’s embarrassing that I was so inconsiderate when it comes to our dogs. They are back on the leash and I have a pocket full of poo bags. What’s really sad is how many times strangers have thanked me for having our dogs on leash and picking up after them – I didn’t realize it was such a problem (the poo isn’t on the trail), but it obviously when so many people notice when someone is doing the right thing.

        1. Thanks for the insight about the “thanking”. I sometimes thank people for having their dogs on leash when we are out hiking but perhaps I should do it more. I haven’t ever thanked anyone for picking up their poop but I am usually not close enough to say something. Imagine me yelling a couple of hundred feet to someone? Ha, ha. I am just the kind of nut to do it though 🙂 Maybe I should look for opportunities to thank someone without yelling 🙂

    1. I read this article yesterday. I like that it is working and I think it’s a genius idea. I do wonder how they get these people’s addresses though. Government stalking much? Ha, ha. I figure they must follow these people to their car and get their address from their license plate.

  7. Some places are taking the DNA of the dogs in the vicinity so they can match it with any poop they find. This seems to work well in closed environments like apartment complexes. I think the idea that you could have your dog’s poops identified should be enough to drive home the point. I would imagine that an actual test might be quite expensive.

    1. I am aware of that technique and it is working at apartment complexes. I think Florida was the first place I saw that pop up. I am not sure how expensive it is. Perhaps the apartment charges a higher pet fee to cover some of those costs? I bet after the initial test they don’t need many follow-ups. The fear factor probably encourages people to pick it up…as you said 🙂

  8. I loved your idea of handing someone a bag. Mostly where we are people pick up their poop. Especially if we are in a campground. A friend of ousr did the sign thing once at a rendezvous when he found a pile in front of his camp. Sadly, no one claimed it and picked it up. He had to do that and he doesn’t even have a dog.

    1. That is the worst…when non dog owners have to pick up after a lazy dog owner. It makes a bad name for all of us. I don’t blame the people for being extra irritated if they have to do that. I would have picked it up for him if I had been there 🙂

  9. I don’t know who those people are either, but I can tell you from the poop piles around my neighborhood…they are big dog owners, because there are always big dog piles left behind. It’s just gross! We always pick up the poop…our neighbor even just went out and bought the same cute dispenser we have for our bags. Now if I could just get everyone else to do the same!

    1. I CAN say I am glad I own small dogs because the poop is smaller. I classify them as one-handed or two-handed dogs 🙂 I do think that making it “fun”, or less unpleasant, helps by using cute poop bags or dispensers.

      1. Totally agree. Having a cute and convenient way to pick up poop can be a great reminder to keep up the habit 🙂

        -Carina and the PoopBuddies

      2. Miss Jessica:
        Ma says any time you want to collaborate on a post about water quality/water contamination and the ick that makes us (and humans) sick just let her know. It would be a nifty way to have posts in Sugar’s next hop for Scoop That Poop!

        1. Does Sugar have another one scheduled? We could come up with something. Maybe a Q&A where I interview you about bugs and you interview me about how poop hurts water quality?

        2. I collect poop bag holders, so I have a different one on each leash. BOL!! I usually have pink bags, but sometimes a different color if I run out of pink, or want to match an outfit. BOL! I say I always pick it up, but – there was one time I didn’t pick it up. Pep just had to make her deposit in the middle of a fire ant hill. By the time I brushed the ants off her legs, the little poop was a swarming mass of fire ants. I apologized to the property owner and asked if it was ok that I not pick up that once. She understood and didn’t blame me at all. She said she wouldn’t expect anyone to pick up in a fire ant hill. She could see I had bags and normally would have picked it up. She was more concerned that I was able to get all of the ants off of Pepper. It rained that evening, so I think the ants and rain took care of that one poop. I would think if anyone had stepped in that exact spot, they would have had much worse on their minds than poop. Now, I am curious if any of you have ever picked up poop covered in fire ants?

          1. No. No….I can say I would not pick up fiery and poo 🙂 The ants would probably eat it anyway. Sick. Glad you got the ants off Pepper before they bit her!

            1. I am glad I am not the only one who considers fire ants a change of plans. BOL!! Since there was a person there to ask, I asked, I think that is the polite thing to do. 🙂

  10. Mom wanted to print out a copy of our local ordinance which says it’s a class 4 misdemeanor if you don’t pick up your poop, laminate it, and post it on a sign in the yard. Dad thought that was “a little much”. Maybe just leave a copy of the ordinance on the person’s door?

    1. I would think printing the ordinance, laminating it and posting it in a public place would be the “lesser” of targeting the person by leaving it on their door. If you post it in a general area they could easily ignore it and if you post it to their door they might get mad and not pick up poop out of defiance. There is no best option. If it were me, I would start by posting the ordinance in a public place.

  11. I love the little signs on the poo. Luckily our yard is fenced and we don’t have many dogs around. We do live near an open space and one of our neighbors walks his dogs there every morning and the poop there every morning — they’ve left a trail of poo, spaced 1-24 inches apart along this one section – it’s so gross. I haven’t had the nerve to say anything cause I haven’t actually seen them do it, but I know it’s them…thanks for the ideas,

  12. I have no clue how to reach them, but I can’t stand people who don’t clean up. Our beautiful dog friendly and off leash beach is getting nasty because scumbags can’t clean up Rover’s mess. Last time we were at the beach I had someone thank me for cleaning up Nola’s poop. That was nice.
    Amanda

    1. I see people at the beach around here kick some sand over their dog’s poop. Uhhh…not helping because it washes into the water when the tide comes in and kits making sand castles could accidentally put their hand it it.

  13. Really interesting subject!

    For the people that don’t pick up after their dogs – I’m not sure there is anything we can do to force them into it. They rank right down there with the people that flick cigarette butts or garbage out of their windows while driving or while walking/hiking along. The world is their toilet/garbage can/ash tray, etc.

    1. Well, education is slowly being effective I think. “Forcing” people doesn’t generally work but if the problem is bad enough there may be no alternative. Many places have laws about picking up poop but they are seldom enforced. Maybe someday we will see more of that.

      I agree the other things are irritating too…and, yes, they are probably a lot of the same people.

  14. I’m laughing here cause you reminded me of an old Halloween prank (my mother taught me this one…she used to do it as a kid in Brooklyn) … you put the poop in a brown paper bag, place it on the offender’s porch and light it on fire…pretty sure if you tried that now you’d get arrested…I take the “oh gosh, did you forget a bag…here I’ve got an extra one” approach and try to keep smiling and not grit my teeth…Sometimes it works, others it doesn’t…

    1. Oh, I have heard of that before…but figured it might get me in trouble if I tired it 🙂 I am not sure what I will say if I ever catch anyone. I know what I would IMAGINE I would say but although I am opinionated, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and lean toward the non-confrontational. I would offer them bag for sure though. If they refused it then I would probably get huffy, pick it up myself in front of them while grumbling about how they are being irresponsible and giving us dog owners a bad name.

  15. For me, the absolute WORST part is carrying it around. Seriously, I don’t care how cute the plastic bag is, it’s still a bag full of steamer and I want no part in it. Still, I’m a responsible dog owner, so I do it, but I can’t rave enough about our leash bag (I shared it on our Fetch Friday post:

    It’s lined and washable, so after I pick up, I can knot the plastic bag and hide it safely away in this stylish looking one, which I hang off my leash with a caribiner (or now, off my stylish stroller, with the built in fanny pack and cup holder.)

    My mom’s apartment walks the line between being obnoxious and considerate about the poop. Yes, there are signs every 20 feet or so, but there’s aso a bag dispenser and a small discrete trash can every 20 feet or so too – no excuses! You were asked nicely, had a bag and a place to get rid of it. If you don’t pick up at that point, you’re just a jerk!

    1. I wouldn’t say I HATE carrying it around but it’s certainly not the fun part of dog ownership. As for the apartment, sometimes I takes a hammer to get the point across 🙂

  16. Oh I’ve walked up to offenders and have offered them a bag. “Did you not see your dog going poop? Here’s a bag.” And stood and watched them pick it up. They might hurl the bag at me afterwards, who knows!

  17. I know! It seems like you can never catch them in the act! Back some years ago, when we lived in an apartment… there were always these giant piles of poop out in the outer area where most folks walked their dogs. I never could catch who was leaving these behind! It really chapped my hide because a) our apartment complex had a 25 lb weight limit for pets and believe me, these poops were not coming out of a 25 lb dog… and b) there were dumpsters all over, so it was really easy to pick up your dog’s poop and toss it right into a dumpster without even having to carry it very far. There was no excuse for these to be left behind… and yet, there they always were… to be disgustingly mowed over my the mowing crew. Picking up someone else’s stray poo here and there is one thing, but there was no way I was picking up EVERY single poo from someone else’s large dog.
    Living in a house, my two do most of their business in the backyard, and I pick it up at least once a day, sometimes twice. They don’t go while on walks very often, and we pick it up when they do. Fortunately, we don’t see too many abandoned poops either. If I caught someone blatantly leaving one behind, I don’t know exactly what I’d say. I’d be super annoyed and want to say something sharp, but I also don’t like to initiate confrontation. I’d probably pull a passive-aggressive move.

    1. We rent and our landlord pays for someone to mow the lawn. I admit that sometimes I haven’t been the best at picking up dog poo so I have to rush out in my pajamas before they mow 🙂 They always appreciate my effort even if I miss a few (they are in a hurry to get in and out so they don’t wait long). They said that lots of people leave dog poop in their back yard and they have to stick their hand in the bag of grass clippings and poo…which is gross. I feel bad for them.

  18. We noticed that a lot of people aren’t aware of the dangers of leaving it behind. Spreading awareness and starting the conversation is a HUGE part of getting people to scoop the poop. So thanks for spreading the word! Also, having some cute bags to show off works as a great incentive 😉

    -Carina and the PoopBuddies

  19. We’ve actually been thanked a couple of times by neighbors who see us picking up after our dog. One person even offered to throw away our bag for us!

    1. Wow…that is very generous! I haven’t thanked anyone let alone offer to throw their bag away for them. You are giving me ideas 🙂

  20. Luckily our yard is fenced so we don’t have to worry about other dogs pooping in our yard, but our neighbors never pick up after their two labradors. They just mow right over it, gross. We don’t know what to do, it is their yard but the dogs like to go along the fence line and it stinks when we are mowing our lawn.
    This has been a great topic for discussion today.
    Linda and the PugRanch Kids
    Bailey, Hazel & Greta

    1. Sometimes I get lazy about picking up poo in my yard. I do worry that my neighbor can smell it on a warm day. Yuck. I am sure to pick it up when it is nice out 🙂

  21. I’ll admit – I was an offender last weekend. I was out running with my dog, and used 2 poo bags, but he went a 3rd time 🙁 it was Sunday so I thought about stealing a newspaper bag off of a porch, but it was windy & I was afraid the paper would blow away. So I left it. 🙁 I guess I should buy one of those dispenser things to clip on his leash for our long runs so I don’t get caught short-bagged again.

    1. I will admit I have been caught without a bag once or twice. Luckily, I was walking with friends when I did and they had bags for me. If I don’t carry a roll of bags with me (if I am running or traveling light), I tie 4 bags on the handle of the leash – 2 for each dog even though it is very rare that they would both go twice.

  22. We vote for the flag idea…shaming of humans really! One time someone at the dog park did not pick up right in front of us, so Mom told them a few things. Geez, we should be happy we have dog parks and take care of them, not ruin them!

    1. I actually joked about starting a “poop shaming” Facebook page where people could post picture of abandoned poop they found with details about where it was found…or of people walking away from it. Good for you Mom for speaking up to the person at the dog park.

  23. We did read on the paper about someone piling poops on a neighbor’s door. One article was poop were mailed. Yes who are these dog owners that just don’t pick up? They should not own a dog if they can’t pick it up. Lots of Golden Thanks for joining our Scoop That Poop campaign blog hop. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

    1. OMG!!!! I am so glad you stopped by! I love your blog. I was actually thinking of starting some kind of “poop shaming” Facebook page. I didn’t have the time though. I followed you on Twitter and look forward to seeing more “poop” from you 🙂 Here is another video to add to your site if you haven’t already http://youtu.be/jDh12w-jcfs. I worked on the team that funded it.

      1. Wow, I am really impressed with the video! That’s so cool, and by far the best doo-doo music video I’ve ever seen. There are a couple on my site that are silly/terrible, but this is a real song parody! Awesome, thanks

  24. i live in the city in an apartment. surrounding my apartment is all concrete. lots of dog owners on my block, and i have seen more than one owner let their dog poop right on the curb. if we dont see it, especially at night, since it is off-street parking…we step on it. it is sooo frustrating. one gal didnt have either of her dogs on leashes yesterday, and let her little dog poop right outside my car as my daughter and i were sitting in the front seat talking! people who live in the city near me dont seem to have manners…they argue outside, play music loud, hang out on their porches all times of night….which makes telling them about the poop annoying…because i am not out to make all my neighbors mad. plus i think they will know its me who put up the ordinance sign, reported them, etc.

  25. So you think throwing away poop in a landfill tied up in little plastic baggies where it will also get into our water, etc is BETTER than letting it go au natural?! That’s just insane. Technically you are not supposed to dispose of feces in the trash, this also includes throwing away baby diapers, you’re supposed to flush the feces. So maybe we should all be teaching our pups to use the toilet? 😉

    So should people be walking around behind horses, squirrels, random other animals picking up their poop? no.

    It’s a sad world where people do not realize that it is a natural fertilizer and as long as it is out of the way of foot traffic that it is FINE!

    1. Well, if you took the time to read my previous blog posts (you can find them by tying “dog poop” in the search bar on the home page) about this issue, you would know that I am not sure some “nut”. I have been a water quality specialist working with pollution of our lakes and streams for 10 years. I have worked with both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Ecology – both of which who agree that although not perfect, yes, picking up dog waste and placing it in the trash is the best solution. Placing pet waste in the trash in not illegal.

      I have written blog posts to address the concerns you have expressed. I don’t wish to re-write them here. I will just say that 1) dog poop contains pathogens and bacteria that do not exist in horse, squirrel, etc poop. These pathogens and bacteria can make water unsafe for humans to swim in or drink; 2) Most municipal treatment plants are not equipped to handle a significant volume of pet waste. They have a hard enough time keeping up with all of the human waste produced; and 3) It is a sad world where people don’t obey laws that are for the betterment of the human good and the environment.

      Thank you for expressing your opinion.

  26. Recipe for an open face poop sandwich

    Take an old plate and put a piece of bread on it. Now pile a genrerous pile of poop,perhaps a pickle and chips as well on the side.Neatly fold a napkin and put a fok on it and place a knife and spoon on the other side. The visual really sticks in dog ownwers minds.

  27. Fun Gurerrila tactics to get dog owners out of the woods!

    Find a path that they use. This is an old trappers trick to route traffic called “crowding”.
    Place a branch on one side of the path to direct traffic where you want them to go{they won’t walk over it, they walk around it}. Place a pile of poop in the middle of the small area you have made. sprinkle some pine needles or other forrest material to camoflage it. This is really successful! Also try using burrs esp. “devils pitch” fork found near streams. Lay them where they will catch socks and pants.Really irritating and time consuming to remove .
    Try putting bacon fat or chicken fat and or a dog biscut in the poop.Now spot will eat the poop and clean up after himself and may teach other dogs!
    Another fun thing to do is buy some fox urine {you ain’t lived ’till you haven’t smelled it! }
    Mix it with a product calle “turbo” a solution used in agriculture to keep insecticides on fruit.
    Spray this in the underside of the car in the drivers wheel well.this smell won’t go away for a long time and everytime it rains it comes back.Also put it down where the windshield wipers go in the middle .this will go down into the vent and will stay forever every time they open the vent.
    These assinine Narcissists are masters of the obtuse and have no business owning a dog.
    Being polite and non confrotational does not work! Don’t speak to you offending neighbors as in my experience it only creates animosity. Call animal control they took care of my in yard problems as I was lucky enough to see the dog.
    If you have a BB gun pop spot on the bum.It stings , but won’t break the skin and adverse therapy really works without hurting the dog.The dog is not at fault ,just the owner.

  28. The soccer team I coached played at a park across from a row of houses. Before each game I would place orange cones next to dog piles to mark where they were and then pick them up to keep the kids from getting it on their cleats. Most days I was picking up 7-10 piles, Rottweiler sized. The residents could see me doing this, but apparently the guilty ones ignored my efforts because the volume never seemed to diminish. I don’t understand how a person can just leave it to let someone else deal with their dog’s poop, but then rudeness is everywhere unfortunately.

    1. Good for you but bad on them. Unfortunately, I agree that rudeness and the expectation that people will clean up your mess (literally and figuratively) is more commonplace than it should be.

  29. I have done the “Oh here – I know … I hate when I forget or run out of bags too” thing more than once. I have also left poop bags in a cute carrier (I had won it at a raffle and was not using it) all wrapped up as a gift during the Holidays for a neighbour who had two MADSSIVE dogs that he let poop all over the front of the apartment complex. In fact because of him, that complex changed their policy and no more pets were allowed. *sigh* He moved out – but … we had to as well. It worked out for us and we found our amazing condo but still … I could have screamed in frustration.

    I have also done what I call “penance pick-ups”. I will sometimes pick up a poop someone has left behind … as penance for the 2-3 times a year I run out of bags or “don’t see it” (My guy is 3.5 pounds and doesn’t eat dog food so his poops are really small and can get lost … say … under leaves for example).

    It drives me crazy … I am not nearly as nice as most – I’ve yelled a few times too when the person isn’t big enough to beat me to a pulp. Not that I recommend it – it’s likely not that effective. But Grrrrrrrrr…… great post.

    Side travel note: In the countries with the most lax and hugely dog friendly environments (Greece and Tuscany come to my mind) I never … ever… saw a stray poop. Odd right? You’d think the more dogs the more poop but — nope.

    1. That is interesting about Greece and Tuscany in regard to dog poop. I swear that some of the difference is because some people resist being told what to do in the places where picking up poo is law. Also, if the environment is SO dog friendly that they are everywhere and a accepted part of life, people are more conscious of the impact they are having.

      While I have wanted to yell at several people about dog poop, I never have…I just yell inside. I haven’t had the “pleasure” of seeing an offender in the real world – just piles of poop with no one in sight. However, I have encountered a few resistors online. I try to educate but am too chicken-sh*t to yell at them through my keyboard 🙂

  30. Dogs were pooping all over this country way before we ever got here. We dont clean up because it is not necessary. We dont clean up out of spite it just is not necessary. For the record I dont care if another dog poops on my lawn either. It is natural.

    1. I would agree with you Darren if it were “before we got here” or even 1,000 years ago. Now so many dogs are located in one limited area, and we have destroyed the soils natural structure with development, that nature can no longer handle the load of poop being “dumped on it”. I appreciate you taking the time to voice your opinion but as a water quality specialist with 6 years of college on the subject, and 10 years working in the field, I can 100% tell you that not cleaning up pet waste leads to water and soil contaminated with bacteria that can (and does) make humans sick.

  31. These people know what they are doing,, they take their dog outside to use the poop waste ,, pick uo behind your dog, nobody should have to tell them that.. they know what they are doing..i saw one lady watch her dog poop and then went in the streetand got a stick and came back and put it over the poop..WTF,, all that she could have picked up her dog poop.. and they never let their dog poop by their own door..they know exactly what they are doing.. carru a damn bag and pick up behind your damn dog!

  32. If you like dog poop so much you can follow my dog around and eat it! I bet you’re the kind of person who hangs out at public restrooms inspecting bowls to see if they need to be scrubbed, then inspecting the anuses of patrons to make sure they are wiped to your standards.

    Any dog turds that you find you can have them. I don’t know what you obsession with touching them is, but I don’t care what you do with them. I leave my dog’s turds where they fall because that is the way of nature!

    1. While you get points for probably the most creative, random, insulting comment on my blog yet, you are misinformed. My “obsession” stems from a degree in environmental science and 10 years working in the environmental protection and water quality fields. I am curious what your credentials are?

      While a dog pooping is a natural process, the number of domesticated dogs pooping on the planet today is far more than our degraded environment can handle naturally. Pet waste contains bacteria which often makes its way into water (including groundwater) that humans drink and swim in and can make them sick. It may look like it disappears but it really just breaks into 100 tiny poop piles which wash away – not “naturally treated” buy the soil. A simple internet search will reveal hundreds of articles and websites about this issue.

      I will admit that the problem and risk is much less if you live in the country…as long as your one or two dogs are pooping more than 300 feet from any waterbody. However, in developed urban areas, that pet waste washes directly into the nearest stormwater system, and ultimately lake, river or ocean, with the next rain. It is a HUGE problem. Dozens of beaches are closed every year due to fecal coliform and ecoli contamination. People who don’t pick up their pet’s waste are directly contributing to that problem.

  33. I used to be a dog person….USED to be.

    I live in a community of row houses. All I have in this world is a tiny – and I mean tiny – plot of frontage and a driveway. I have no patience for this crap (no pun)…and I’m certainly not polite when I “deal” with it. I’m not going to be “nice.” In my mind? It should be COMMON SENSE for someone to pick up after their dog, especially when it dumps on other people’s property! I don’t pop a squat on your driveway – why would you think it acceptable for your beast to defecate on mine?

    Lucky for me, I have motion-censored camera’s around my home…so I know exactly who these brain-dead morons are….and YES, that poop? The clumps you found shoved in your mailbox on top of your bills?? Yep – that was me returning what your dog lost.

    Dog owners are about the most self-centered breed around. I have one neighbor who has two dogs. I can’t understand why….as he leaves them outside all day and all night….barking forever…..2 p.m. or 2 a.m. Doesn’t matter to him – but I sure have to listen to it. Why bother adopting the animals?!
    Another guy across the street hasn’t heard of that nifty new invention we call A LEASH. My son takes his scooter out on the sidewalk, only to be chased down by this mongrel…which lead to a severe wipe-out on the pavement and stiches!

    IT AIN’T ROCKET SCIENCE!! If your dog shits in the middle of another person’s driveway, they won’t be happy about it…in fact, they may even call animal control and/or lay chemicals that may or may not harm your animal. After all, why should I care when you have zero respect for me?!

    If you’re not going to take care of your responsibility appropriately, adopt a cat!

    1. Yikes. I don’t blame you. That would turn me off too! Owning dogs myself exposes me to all different kinds of “actions” of dog owners and, yes, not all of them are pleasant. If I didn’t own a dog I might be jaded too. Unfortunately, I have been on the other side a few times before and got blasted by people who didn’t like dogs just because of bad past experiences with other dog owners 🙁 Those people are not making my life any easier.

    2. I totally agree!!! I USED to be a dog lover but not anymore! I know it’s not the dogs fault it’s the HUMANS fault!! I also agree….If you can’t be a responsible dog owner than maybe you shouldn’t be one!!!

  34. Interesting “pile” of input on dog pooping! I always carry poop bags and will p/u poop from other dogs. So let me just say this about people who are oblivious to common courtesy and think it’s “nature’s way”…you can’t fix stupid!

    There used to be a dog owner in the n’hood whose dog always got loose and pooped all over everyone’s yards. We all knew who he was. One day I’d had enough so picked up his dog’s poop and the piles the dog had left in the n’bors’ yards and left it hanging from his doorknob in a large plastic bag. You can’t fix stupid!

    Another n’bor moved in a couple years ago, the yard was not fenced and was on the edge of a very long ravine that is home to a wide variety of wild critters. Trying to be helpful, I suggested he put in a long-line or a kennel run so the dog, a Mini Schnauzer, couldn’t get down in the ravine. He scoffed…”oh he goes down there all the time.” Well one night he let the dog out about 10 p.m. for the last poop & pee of the day and never saw the dog again! So the poor dog paid the price for his stupidity. He then got another Mini Schnauzer and continues to turn the dog loose to pepper the n’bors’ yards with his pee & poop! I call the Animal Control Officers whenever I see the dog loose in the n’hood (there’s a leash law in our town)! Other n’bors are afraid of retribution so will not call and complain. When I find a pile of his dog’s poop in my yard, I take it down in a baggie and leave it in his driveway.

    I foster a lot of dogs and have plenty of poop to p/u without having to p/u after that inconsiderate stupid turkey’s dog!

    If I’m out walking and see someone with their dog pooping, I ask them if they need a poop bag…if it’s obvious they do not intend to pick up after their dog.

  35. Oh one more thing. I bought a motion-detecting sprinkler…well not really a sprinkler…it works like the oscillating sprinklers. It’s battery operated and you can adjust the width and distance it sprays! Keeps the deer (from the ravine) from eating the buds off my plants in the front garden. Needless to say the Min Schnauzer no longer poops in my front garden!

  36. I have seen people walk their dog past my yard. There is this one lady who is really rude and she thinks she owns/controls the neighborhood whole walking her poodle!

    I tell you that dog has pooped on my front lawn more than I can count. She don’t care about sign’s or you talking nicely to her to pick it up. First of all she is a Senior Citizen and she is old and cranky! She just waves/brushes you off like your wasting her time and she walks away ignoring you with the dog poop on your lawn for you to pick up.

    I found out where she lives so every time her dog poops on my lawn I throw it back on her lawn/porch or whoever it lands…

    Why should I clean up after her dog! She is the owner of the dog not me….

  37. I have 3 dogs and also a dogpoop complex..I HAVE to go pick it up!! I’ve had a problem with new neighbors who’s giant dog ‘got out’ and came and pooped a 7 LB turd on MY yard!?? I have wiener dogs, (little turds) So I took my shovel and carried it back to their house and put it on their front step!!

  38. I am getting a dog soon and I have been super paranoid about what I’d do with my dog relieving himself on other’s lawns. From the sounds of it though, there are some generalized etiquette rules of what to do when the dog does his duty on other people’s lawns. You can’t imagine how helpful that these seemingly small and simple things are to know.

    1. Hi Bryan. I am glad you find this information helpful. I remember finding myself with a dog in my mid-20’s and not having any idea what to do.

      In regard to my dogs doing business on other people’s lawns, I don’t let them. I always keep them on the sidewalk or in the median between the sidewalk and the curb. I respect that not all people are ok with a dog going potty on the same lawn they mow and/or let their kids play on. I would be lying if I said it didn’t accidentally happen once or twice though. In the case of #2, I am always quick to pick it up no matter where it is done.

  39. I am totally disgusted by dog owners and their lack of responsibility!! I go hiking on a particular trail every weekend and am amazed how many people do NOT have their dogs on a leash and I know that they are not picking up after THEIR dogs as there is dog shit all over the place! There is a sign that states your dog MUST be on a leash and you MUST pick up after your dog!! I’ve almost been tripped up by dogs not on a leash and I’ve seen other people almost tripped up. If these people do not want to follow the rules maybe they should leave their dogs at home! The trail smells like one big pile of dog shit and it’s frustrating when your out in nature for the beauty and the natural smells, but all of that is ruined by the dog shit all over. Is there someone we can contact to deal with this. It can’t be good for health reasons to leave all of this dog shit laying there.

    1. Hi Kim. I am a dog owner (obviously) and I share your frustration. I worked for a long time in environmental outreach and, unfortunately, many people hold the belief that dog poop is “natural” and that there is no issue with leaving it to decay in the environment. Environmental debate aside, I think it’s just plain rude. Like you said, it can make an area start to smell and that is not fair to other trail users. Also, there are leash laws where I live and more people disobey them on trails than not. That is frustrating and dangerous for so many reasons.

      As for someone to contact? Unfortunately, my experience has been that the forest service and park staff do not have enough resources to enforce the laws. In places where these things have become too big of an issue, the solution is not usually enforcement…. it’s banning dogs on the trails all together. I do want to believe though that if enough people talk about an issue they can enact change. I suggest calling the entity responsible for managing the land you are hiking on (Forest Service district, State Park superintendent, etc) and voicing your observations and concerns.

  40. If someone poops their dog repeatedly on someone else’s property, then assuming the victim doesn’t deserve it (which I doubt they do), then I honestly hope that somebody takes the dog poop and shoves it in the offender’s mouth and makes them eat it! They should then do this to the offender every time after that, whenever this person does such a thing.

  41. People like you make me want to stop walking my dog altogether. I can’t pick up dog poop, OK? I have a mental condition that makes me more susceptible to feelings of disgust and contamination from messy things, and it doesn’t matter if I use a bag, if I have a special dog poop holder, anything like that – I JUST CAN’T DO IT!

    And you’re going to seriously claim that dog poop is so toxic? What about the deer that wander into our town every night? Should we go searching for their poop and pick it up too? What about the stray cats, and the pet cats who are allowed outside? Should we go looking for wherever they buried their poop to dig it up and clean it out? If people aren’t worried about cats and wild animals leaving poop all over the place, then it’s just ridiculous to worry about dogs doing it. What about the poop in your backyard? I seriously doubt anyone who has a fenced-in backyard has ever bothered to pick up dog poop left by their dog in their own backyard. If it’s so toxic, wouldn’t it be toxic in your backyard, too?

    Guess what? IT IS NATURAL! It comes out of a living creature, how can it possibly NOT be natural?

    Just watch where you step and stop making such a big fuss over nothing. Or if it really bugs you so much, clean it up yourself, and stop complaining. It doesn’t really matter anyway.

    1. Hi Ettina. I am sorry that you thought my post was a personal attack on you. It is obviously aimed at able-bodied and able-minded people that just choose to ignore it. Obviously, that is not your case. I have worked in urban water quality for 10 years as a scientist so, yes, I am going to claim that dog poop contains bacteria that can and does contaminate surface water and make people sick. It’s a scientific fact. Here is one such article that discusses exactly why and how pet waste contaminates water. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/science/2002-06-07-dog-usat.htm

      I am curious what kind of formal education you have on this topic? I realize there are many issues in which scientist disagree with one another. It’s definitely something that’s more of an issue in an urban environment where there are many, many dogs all using the same area of land that is largely covered in concrete and artificial landscapes.

      And, by the way, I DO pick up other people’s dog poop. However, I shouldn’t be expected to.

    2. You’ve got to be kidding me! Then Ettina you shouldn’t have a dog period! Letting your dog crap everywhere and then claiming you can’t pick it up due to some mystical mental condition is reason enough. I own a dog, a big one and i pick up the poo in my yard and on walks all the time. Dogs crap a lot and it’s not the same thing as wild animals roaming the woods. Most of us live in realville USA. Ya know subdivisions, yards, sidewalks, large concentrations of people. large amounts of dogs crapping everywhere IS a public health hazard and you know it!

      1. Hi Chris. We don’t really know what Ettina’s medical condition is or what her limitations are. However, I do believe it’s not impossible to pick up dog poop even with limitations. I have a cousin with Cerebral Palsy. She’s in a wheelchair (although she can sometimes stand for short periods of time) and she manages to pick up her dog’s poop. It’s also cool that there are products on the market now for those people that have a hard time bending over to pick it up.

        1. Jessica. I commend your cousin for picking up. My brother had a good friend with Cerebral Palsy and he had physical limitations but was always a very positive person.

          I’m passionate about this subject and get quite upset when i see all the lazy sobs that just walk away and pretend it didn’t happen and don’t pick up. It’s disgusting! I’m an avid runner and the city greenway trailheads stink like toilets because so many people walk there dogs there to let them crap and then walk away. The stench is nauseating. I was just at one yesterday and a big SLOB of a woman came quickly walking out of the trailhead entrance (she knew what she was doing) with her golden lab and guess what she left behind? A BIG steaming pile of dog feces right at the entrance….gross.

          1. I totally get your passion. I worked in water quality (streams and lakes) for a local city for almost 6 years. Around the office, I was called the “Poop Queen” because I was very passionate about proper disposal of dog poop so it didn’t harm waterways.

  42. Hey, Ettina, I have a mental condition that also makes me susceptible to being disgusted towards dog feces in my yard. It’s called being a civilized human being. But hey, guess what? IT’S NATURAL, as you so eloquently put it. What are you getting worked up over? Do you not wipe your own butt then?

    I’ve got a brilliant idea for people who supposedly “can’t” do something so simple….DON’T OWN A DOG. Don’t have a cat. Don’t have a child. Or do you expect to go through life expecting everyone else but YOU to clean up YOUR mess?

    Sorry for the hostile tone, but that response by Ettina was the height of arrogance and utter nonsense. She’s just another spoiled, entitled dog owner with no sense of personal responsibility, always wanting to pass the buck. I’ve had to suffer this nonsense recently, and whoever this guy/gal is, they’ve been leaving dog droppings directly in front of my sign. Spiteful, disgusting people.

    1. Hi Rae –

      Thanks for taking the time to read my post and, especially, to read through the comments.

      I hear and totally get your frustration. I hear “I can’t pick up my dog’s poop because it grosses me out” all of the time and I agree with you – it’s really no different than touching a babies poop… or your own for that matter. What I mean is, you probably have more of a chance of touching poop when you wipe your own butt than you do picking dog poop up in a bag….. and definitely have a greater chance of touching poo with a baby. It’s inevitable 🙂

      That being said, there ARE people out there with real medical or mental conditions that make them particularly adverse, or unable, to it. We don’t know that Ettina is not one of these people. Let’s please keep it civil here.

      I know if I was in a position like that, I would devise some other kind system to pick up poop that works for me. For example, I might walk with a small shovel and rake, on the end of two short poles, so there would be no risk of touching it. I realize that method might not be physically doable for absolutely everyone though. It also would only work if there was a garbage can nearby. I have also seen people train their dogs only to go potty in certain places like near a trash can.

      Clearly Ettina doesn’t see leaving dog poop on the ground as a problem she needs to figure out a solution for though.

  43. The city I live in recently claimed to tighten their dog laws.
    Haahahahhhahahahah! What they did was to remove the voice control option, which SHOULD have meant dogs have to be leashed anywhere off the owner’s property. Sounds good? But wait…this is THE most dysfunctional city I have ever lived in or near.

    The local weekly newspaper’s article about the alleged changes quoted the City Manager (puppet of City Council, which includes a member who publicly admitted to regularly letting her dog run free at a school athletic field). City Manager essentially said there will be no enforcment. The day after that article, the loose dog problem got even worse. So much for any faith in city managment! Those dog owners should start worrying about what happens when people take the law into their own hands. Hell, if they can get away with breaking laws, so can people who are fed up with PooPoo using other people’s property and public areas as doggie bathrooms and doggie parks. The entrenched reek from both poop and pee is overwhelming, even when the owner picks up. There are just way too many dogs in this city.

    Dogs off leash is tied very closely with the poop problem. Literally every time I have seen someone leave their dog’s poop, the dog was off leash AND the owner was walking out front with head down, walking as fast as possible to get away from being associated with the dog. Sometimes they even sneak a little half-look around to see if anybody sees them. Hilarious.

    I have used both confrontational and nonconfrontational approaches in talking with them. I would say that the kinder, gentler way might result in an instance of compliance the first time, but the offender WILL try to repeat. You might as well be rough with them. In one case, after I told a guy that his dog had crapped in my yard, he kept coming up with excuses. “I didn’t see him do that. Are you sure?” YES. “I don’t see any. Where is it?” RIGHT OVER THERE. WALK OVER AND GET IT. [Cranes his neck but refuses to take even one step.] “I still don’t see any.” THEN WALK OVER THERE!

    And then the crowning glory of assholery: “But I don’t want to step in it,”

    1. I agree that the issue is very frustrating. Like people, the high dog population in urban areas can cause problems when people are not responsible… and we know that a lot of them aren’t. I would argue that the “issue with dogs” is really a people problem though. It’s the humans that choose to disobey leash laws and poop scoop laws. Dogs don’t know what a law is and they are just doing what dogs do 🙂

  44. For those who think it’s safe to leave dogs’ crap laying around, just watch as a little child bends down, picks it up, & puts it in their mouth. Our community yards are designed so residents can not only walk their dogs but also so kids can play, and one day I saw that very thing – a little child with her siblings & while the older kids were playing the little one picked up some crap & started to put it in her mouth. I got to her fast enough to stop her, but barely. She was too young to know what she was doing & despite the fact it was old & dry it was still contaminated. Not only that, but it tracks into your house on your shoes, attracts flies & other pests, smells & you can’t open your windows unless you personally enjoy the smell of dung or want a fly that was just snacking on it to come in your home & land on your food.

    I understand some people have problems bending over picking up things; I, too, have lower back issues & cringe at the idea of picking up something when it hurts, but there are other ways to pick things up. & if someone has an aversion to picking up crap, there’s help for that, too. It’s inconsiderate to others to leave it laying around. There are gadgets that help catch a dog’s “gifts” as it exits their body, & you don’t have to touch it – might take some practice to learn how to catch it, but eventually you do. But the majority of people who do this don’t have problems – they’re just plain nasty.

    I’m allergic to dogs, love them but can’t have them, so not having a dog with which to set the example makes it hard. My neighbors are usually friendly toward those who don’t pick up; they have a dog, so they can talk to other owners on their level, & sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I have tried friendly & polite approaches, but usually scaring people into thinking you’re going to report them to the HOA works. It’s in my yard & it’s aggravating, so I’m losing patience. I have personally caught people in the act & take pics, video, or take it back to them; one guy who I had always been polite to ran – literally – from my yard dragging his dog in mid-poop when I pulled into my driveway one night. I found it, bagged it, took it to his home, & rang the bell. I kept ringing it until he opened the door & told him he left his property on my lawn & I was kindly returning it. He never did it again. Another resident was trying to avoid picking up her dog’s goods, so I confronted her. She picked it up, but later put a bag of it on my porch. She has bags just like the ones in the pic above & is the only one around us who has them, so I put it back on her porch. One neighbor tried to say her kids refused to do anything she said, but since I heard her screaming at them in their home, “Pick up your sh*t or I’ll take your iPads,” I told her when discussing her doggie dung & what I heard & that they seemed to understand consequences. I told her to give the dogs to someone until they learned how to be responsible. She didn’t like that idea & they’re still leaving it on our lawns, so I give it back.

    We’re installing cameras on our house soon; once we have collected enough video footage, we’re sending it to the HOA & they said they would send it to the entire community. They fine $50 for every proven offense. If that doesn’t work, I have a connection to a news station who can air it. I saw in one post here about shaming offenders on Facebook, which is a good idea. Many of our offenders are adults, but the majority are kids. There are a lot of kids who have parents that allow, or flat out encourage, the nasty behavior. If someone doesn’t want to do the gross task of picking up after their pet, then they don’t need one until they want to be responsible for it. In the meantime until something is done, I get a kick out of joining in on neighborly conversations & saying, “You know, if they don’t pick up after their dogs OUTSIDE, imagine what their homes are like INSIDE…”

    1. Hi Amy. I commend you for trying to “do your part” even though you don’t own a dog yourself. It is very frustrating when people make excuse after excuse for not disposing of their dog’s waste properly and in a way that is respectful of others. I agree that there are way around any percieved limitations in order to do it. I, too, have a bad back. On days I can’t bend over, I squat. I have bad knees too so there are some days I can’t do that either. Someday I won’t be able to do either so I will get one of those grabber scoops you can buy online. I hope your HOA is able to address the problem so you don’t have to deal with it anymore.

  45. My Company has been selling pet waste signs since 2002, and the business is growing yearly, I have customers call me all the time and complain about there neighbors, not picking up after there pets. The top selling sign we sell simply says be respectful! and i think that is all that needs to be said “Be respectful” clean up after your pet. here is the link if you need to give your neighbors a little reminder
    http://www.allsignsco.com/no-dog-poop-signs/no-dog-poop-signs.html

    1. Hi Steve. I think signs are a great first step to deterring dogs from going potty in your yard. Unfortunately, I know many people in my neighborhood ignore those “polite reminders”. Still, I think it does help some.

  46. A few years ago I was standing on my front porch on a chilly morning and a lady came walking by with a dog. Dog not leashed, following behind her. She was looking at her cell phone. I watched her dog poop in the middle of the public sidewalk in front of my house. I walked up to her and told her that she needed to come back and pick up her dog’s poop. She denied it was from her dog! I told her I had seen the poop fall out of the back of her dog and it was still “steaming” as it was cold outside. She pulled a plastic bag out of her pocket and picked it up. Sometimes you think you’ve seen it all but you haven’t.

  47. This problems are there in my region where dog owners don’t pick up their dog poop, and due to the same if a dog is roaming around he might get a chance to eat a dog or cat poop. Dog owner should understand about the Unhygienic way of dog poop all around.

  48. Where does this poop come from? It’s usually off leash dog walkers and their inattentive/lazy owners here. There are also neighbors who let their dog free in their front yards while they work outside. I don’t understand people that do that, do you WANT your dog hit by a car and to chase after pedestrians while you’re busy working?

    We have this one big golden retriever who wanders regularly. Owner lets him walk over to our yard and take giant, smelly horse sized dumps. Dog also pees on my flowers and kills them. Owner “never sees it”. Dog jumps on pedestrians. Neighbor thinks that’s cute but no one else does – the dog is smelly and can push me over. I’m building a fence and putting plastic spike mats down. If that fails I’m getting an automatic sprinkler system and some cameras so I can get the bylaw on this guy. People like him are why we have leash laws.

    At my old apartment there was a woman who let her dog out in the courtyard off leash, and the dog would run around the corner and poop right on my path every time. Out of sight, out of mind. The woman never picked it up. I finally caught her and called her out. She was embarrassed and also pissed at me (but she had no right to be so I didn’t care). She came and picked up just one pile, but I never saw the dog do that again.

    Then there’s the trail walkers that figure they are in a natural space and the poop will just decompose. In the meantime 50 of them are doing it every day, leaving it all over the path where kids ride bikes and people jog, and there’s poop everywhere in various states of decay. Absolutely disgusting. It’s even worse in the winter when you have to be careful not to ski through pee and poop on the ski tracks. Then in the spring it all melts and there’s soggy poop and poop juice everywhere. Why do people do this?!

    I don’t accept excuses from these people that they “didn’t know”. Your dog has to poop 1-2 times a day, maybe more, just where do you think the poop is going? If you don’t even know where your dog is pooping you aren’t responsible enough to own a dog. If you don’t care, you’re an ***hole, plain and simple. I have had dogs for 20 years, and I’ve picked up every time. It’s part of the responsibility.

    There’s one other place that I’ve witnessed poop being left behind, but I’m not sure that anything can be done about it short of giving the dog a diaper. I have witnessed a guide dog for the blind poop and walk at the same time, that is, the dog never stopped walking and just let it fall out all over the sidewalk because it was on duty doing its job.

    1. Hi Annie. It sounds like you’ve had quite a lot of bad experiences. Most of ours come from being on the trail and hiking. In that regard, you hit the nail on the head. One pile of poop left in the woods will decompose after time (but can still leave bacteria behind that can harm wildlife and contaminate water) but a high volume of poop piles will continue to pile up. Some of the popular trails around here can see 50-100 dogs a day on weekends. Can you imagine if they all pooped and no one picked it up? Yuck!

  49. Where I live there is a woman in the upstairs apartment with a huge Italian mastiff. She got him as protection rather than a pet, which horrified me, as she has a history of abusive boyfriends. The current one is awful.
    There is a communal garden and her boyfriend lets the dog out to do a poop and leaves it there, then he picks up a stick and swears at the dog to ‘ get the f**k inside now you bast**d’ then he goes to whack it with the stick. You can see the dog does not like the guy. He takes it other times across a road without the leash and lets it poop there too. The girlfriend is always yelling at the dog as it has a very loud continuous bark, when I said to her you don’t need to yell at the dog, and swear at him, and she says it’s the only way to shut him up, the poor dog is in a studio apartment and should be out having long walks etc she only seems to let it out downstairs for not even 5 minutes at a time. It breaks my heart. When the boyfriend is there if he chases it with a huge stick in the garden I can only imagine what he does behind closed doors.
    He seems to think he is the big ‘I am something special’ that he does not think he should pick up poop. I will be going out tonight and gathering up all the poop, putting it in a bag outside the intercom door with a note.

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