Common dog-walking habit raises stink
DEAR ABBY » I’m responding to your request for comments about your answer to “Doggy Business” (Oct. 28). Please IMPLORE your readers not to put their dog’s poop in their neighbor’s garbage cans, even if the cans are on the street. This may seem harmless, but I live near a park and daily dog walkers use my trash can like it’s a public service.
My garbage quickly fills with endless poop bags, sometimes between five and 10 a day. Garbage is collected only every other week in my community. I’m sure your readers can do the math.
Then I end up having to work around all this poop, and not only does my garbage can perpetually stink to high heaven, but I have to be judicious with what I throw away myself.
Rough materials will rupture those bags and poop gets all over the inside of the can. I’m currently saving up to modify my property’s retaining wall so I can keep the receptacles away from the street, but I’m at the mercy of dog owners until I can afford this renovation.
Please, if you have a dog, be a good neighbor. Be responsible for its waste. If you don’t want to carry it, get your dog a harness or pack with a pocket, and dispose of it in your own can when you get home.
— Peeved in the Pacific Northwest
DEAR PEEVED » I advised “Doggy Business” that disposing of his dog’s waste in neighbors’ garbage cans is a big no-no. After asking for readers’ thoughts, an AVALANCHE of responses descended. The vast majority agreed with me, expressing disdain at the practice and explicitly sharing the messy, smelly details of their experiences.
Some areas require trash be placed in a large, sealed plastic bag in the receptacle. When garbage collectors pull the bag out, the small poop bags can spill out and the contents disperse onto the street. Worse, if the bags are thrown into a neighbor’s garbage container AFTER collection, those bags remain at the bottom and smell for days.
Readers, encourage dog walkers to take a larger bag with them or wear a fanny pack with multiple compartments to transport their pets’ “souvenirs” back to their own home.
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