Difference in animal feces

Dear editor:

In response to a letter writer who recently asked why dog owners have to pick up after their pets but horse riders don’t

(Okanagan Weekend, Feb. 1), it boils down to the different bacteria in the gut and feces.

The internet lists at least 10 bacteria in dogs which can be transmitted to humans or other animals. E. coli and Salmonellosis are names most people know can cause human illness. There are others, but I’ll name only Campylobacteria, which sounds friendly, like a campfire song, but it’s better to avoid such friends. Healthy dogs are unlikely to have serious bacteria in their feces, but it’s not a souvenir a considerate owner would leave behind.

Horse droppings (unlike dog feces) are not toxic to humans. If they contain E.coli or Salmonella at all, it is in insignificant amounts.

In recent years, dog owners have gained more reasonable onleash access in urban parks, whereas horse-riders have limited access to urban trails.

The Greenway offers walkers, cyclists, dog-walkers and horseriders an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, a sign that different interests can generally co-exist happily. To ask riders to dismount and carry a large bag of horse droppings away is unreasonable and unkind, as is the option of having the horse wear a diaper.

If I still had a rose garden, I would be tempted to pick up some horse droppings to fertilize my roses. I would not dream of collecting dog poop to enrich my garden soil.

Personally, I do not find horse droppings offensive. One can hardly step into them by accident. Please, lets focus on important issues, like a plant-based diet. and the environment.

Helen Schiele Kelowna