Deep Doggy Do

[sidegate]

Let me preface this by saying that the majority of dog owners are good citizens where this is concerned, but....

....if my 'hood (Shepherd/Westheimer area) is anything to go by, some dog owners still think it's perfectly okay to let their pets deposit a malodorous pile of 1,000,000,000,000 live enteric microbes in other people's front yards. I know there is a COH ordinance to address this, but I figure with a shortfall of 500-600 officers, HPD officers have more pressing matters to attend to on their beat. What power do citizens have? If a citizen takes a video of someone in the act and take it to the nearest police station, is that grounds for arrest? Can they make their own arrests? Can someone be arrested for walking a dog without a bag? Has anyone ever been prosecuted for this, and will the recalcitrants take it seriously until somebody is...?

For the record, I am not a dog owner.

[Mr. Chenevert]

So first off, there is a pooper scooper ordinance in Houston. However, this is not an offense that would cause an arrest.

A citation could be issued. And yes, technically an owner should carry a bag or other method of cleaning up a dogs poop. However, this is impossible to prove, because how can someone prove that my dog hasnt already taken a huge dump and I cleaned it up, hence no more bag?

But I see your point, and agree... citations should be written for repeat offenders.

[musicman]

young cherryhurst residents are the laziest about this!

my mom had it out without a resident who just let their dog crap and didn't clean it up even though it was pointed out that there is an ordinance against it.

ironically, i skated by there last weekend and noticed that there are now bags out there so that the lazy residents won't have to bring their own from their house across the street.

[sidegate]

So first off, there is a pooper scooper ordinance in Houston. However, this is not an offense that would cause an arrest.

A citation could be issued. And yes, technically an owner should carry a bag or other method of cleaning up a dogs poop. However, this is impossible to prove, because how can someone prove that my dog hasnt already taken a huge dump and I cleaned it up, hence no more bag?

But I see your point, and agree... citations should be written for repeat offenders.

Yes, I meant a citation.....

[houstonmacbro]

I live in the 'burbs (well ... actually the ETJ) and even though we have wide expanses of land, I often pick up after my pooches ... especially in areas where people walk (yes, we do sometimes even walk out here).

I think it's only fair to pick up after your pet(s).

[dbigtex56]

Shaming people sometimes works. Just be polite, and use words such as 'defecate' and 'feces'; it drives people nuts.

Also, you might try rubbing it in the offending person's hair, making them literally what they already are figuratively.

[Daniepwils]

Mail it back to them (if they are a neighbor)

[dbigtex56]

Just a couple of days ago, I was returning from the corner store in time to witness a young man watching his dog drop a load on the sidewalk. As he started to walk away, I said "Excuse me! Here, you can have this," and handed him a plastic bag. He gave me a blank look.

"To pick up after your dog," I explained.

"Oh. Yeah, I meant to bring a bag, but I forgot," he mumbled, and started to walk away.

"That's the point. Here's a bag for you."

"Why are you getting so excited?"

"I'm not. I'm offering you something. You respond by saying 'Thank you', and picking up after your dog."

"What the hell is your problem?"

"I just don't enjoy stepping in it."

Eventually he picked it up. Perhaps the rubbing-in-the-hair technique would have been more easily understood, but I was in a good mood...

[silverartfox]

On my street, there are a couple of dog owners who deliberately let their dogs outside to do business in other peoples' yards. That way, the owners won't have to bother with pooper-scooper duties.

During the three years I've lived here, these sweet neighbors have never spoken to me or even waved in passing, so I figure it's best not to rattle their cages over dog excrement. Most likely, wherever these folks were brought up, allowing one's dogs to roam at will was customary.

[wernicke]

I am a dog owner living in Midtown... I would say I pick my dog's mess up about 90% of the time... but sometimes it is either small (my dog is small) or the location is hidden and I will just let it lie.

I think only about 50% or less of my dog-owning colleagues do the same. There are massive piles of *hit laying in highly conspicuous locations at all times. It is quite annoying, especially as someone who generally cleans up after my own dog, so I hear where you guys are coming from.

I particularly get annoyed by the large dog owners who think it is fine to leave a truly gigantic load sitting in or near a walk way.

[Fringe]

I love animals and I could care less if a dog poops in my yard but it really does piss me off when I see it in the middle of a sidewalk. What kind of owner would allow that? I swear if I catch someone who allows their dog to do that and not pick it up then I'm going to make them eat it.

[20thStDad]

What an awesome reason to never own a pet. Yeah, how fun it would be to have to follow an animal around and pick up its crap! No thank you, I'll stick with babies, who will eventually grow out of crapping themselves and will even take care of me when I start crapping myself again.

[marmer]

What an awesome reason to never own a pet. Yeah, how fun it would be to have to follow an animal around and pick up its crap! No thank you, I'll stick with babies, who will eventually grow out of crapping themselves and will even take care of me when I start crapping myself again.

I never remember this as an issue when I was a kid. All I remember was that in distant ultra-urban metropoli like New York, where all there was to walk on is sidewalk, people were expected to pick up their dog poop. I thought that was gross and laughably exotic, sort of like the French eating snails or the Japanese eating raw fish. Everyone thought that dog poop was the ultimate in biodegradable, a little free fertilizer for the yard. And if it dried for a coupla days, well, the lawnmower would vaporize it. There was certainly not the poop-scooping industry with its little long handled scoopers and custom-made plastic bags. And if, like most active kids, one spent most of one's free time outdoors and barefoot, one took the occasional smelly brown mess as a gentle reminder to watch where we were stepping. It just meant you hosed your foot off with the water hose before going inside. Complaining about dog poop in your yard was kind of like being the neighborhood grouch.

[flipper]

This thread is awesome.

flipper (picks up his dog's poo)

[crunchtastic]

And if, like most active kids, one spent most of one's free time outdoors and barefoot, one took the occasional smelly brown mess as a gentle reminder to watch where we were stepping. It just meant you hosed your foot off with the water hose before going inside.

Indeed! Getting dog poop on one's foot was merely training for other barefoot mishaps, like bee stings, glass, flesh-destroying toe stubs and getting one's foot caught in the bicycle spokes while getting a fender ride.

[RedScare]

Back when this used to annoy me, I would leave the front door open while drinking my coffee and reading the paper. Being the good pooch that she is, my own dog would alert me when a strange dog was out front. I would quickly look out the window. If the thoughtless neighbor did not pick up their dog's gift to nature, I would run to the front porch as they walked away and loudly say, "Excuse me! Next time, could you bring a bag for your dog?" This completely shamed the dog owner, as I was not demanding action on their part, but expecting it should they ever return. I never recall seeing the same person return.

I no longer worry about the lumps of golden brown goodness on my lawn. It turns out that my own dog LOVES to sniff these business cards of the canine kingdom. She also loves to sniff the 'pissing bush' to see who has been by recently. I realized that by demanding my neighbors remove their canine candy, I am denying my lovable pooch her daily olfactory delight. And, while they have no fertilizer usefulness, a good rain will disolve it.

[editor]

If you can pinpoint a particular time of day that these packages are being delivered (since doggies are creatures of habit) you might greet it with a garden hose. That might get the point across to the person on the other end of the leash.

Around here a lot of the apartment building lawns are marked with signs reading, "Lawn chemically treated. May cause harm to pets." I don't know if there really is something that you can spray on the grass to affect a dog (Turn it pink? Give it a burning sensation? Do something to the feet and buttcheeks?) but I'm sure someone around here does.

[rsb320]

I remember stepping in poop barefoot as a kid. Squish!

Also, somewhere in Europe, I remember seeing an outline marking of a dog on the sidewalk, with an arrow pointing to the curb (curb your animal). I found it odd to encourage your animal to crap in the gutter, but seeing that no grass was around...

[editor]

I remember stepping in poop barefoot as a kid. Squish!

Also, somewhere in Europe, I remember seeing an outline marking of a dog on the sidewalk, with an arrow pointing to the curb (curb your animal). I found it odd to encourage your animal to crap in the gutter, but seeing that no grass was around...

That's something I always notice in Eastern Europe (especially Budapest) is that people let their dogs poop anywhere anytime; they just don't care. I think it goes back to Soviet times when there was no ownership of property and thus no pride in your surroundings. It's still very much a part of the culture. People will own flashy cars and clothes and electronics, but then live in the crappiest apartments and refuse to fix them up. They haven't developed the notion of having pride in where you live yet.

Maybe that's true of these dog owners who let their critters foul other people's properties. Maybe if they put some effort into taking care of their own place they might not see other people's places as having less value.

[tanith27]

Everyone thought that dog poop was the ultimate in biodegradable, a little free fertilizer for the yard. And if it dried for a coupla days, well, the lawnmower would vaporize it.

I think those were the good ole days when bone meal was the standard dog food fare so the poop would dry up white, crust over, and blow away. Today, its not bone meal anymore...its like solid organics or something...and the poop is less likely to dry up and blow away. Heck, I've even seen some of todays poops survive an afternoon rain storm.

[dbigtex56]

Indeed! Getting dog poop on one's foot was merely training for other barefoot mishaps, like bee stings, glass, flesh-destroying toe stubs and getting one's foot caught in the bicycle spokes while getting a fender ride.

From The Dog Health Guide:

It is possible for humans to get intestinal worms from your dog. This is common in children where they touch dog feces. Children that crawl on the ground or play in sandboxes can injest the eggs that result in worms.

Hookworms can burrow through human skin and are often found in gulf coast states. In a human a hookworm leaves red spots on the skin that are in a trail (caused by the larvae).

That'll put a wiggle in your giddy-up....

[Daniepwils]

Heck, I've even seen some of todays poops survive an afternoon rain storm.

Wow this comment cracked me up for some reason. -- I think we need a new sub-forum for feces talk!

[memebag]

In China I saw parents let their toddlers poop on the sidewalk. The kids had special pants that were split in the back. No diapers, just squat and let 'er rip. The parents don't pick it up. I found that the Chinese have a very different relationship with feces than we do.

[TexasVines]

Just a couple of days ago, I was returning from the corner store in time to witness a young man watching his dog drop a load on the sidewalk. As he started to walk away, I said "Excuse me! Here, you can have this," and handed him a plastic bag. He gave me a blank look.

"To pick up after your dog," I explained.

"Oh. Yeah, I meant to bring a bag, but I forgot," he mumbled, and started to walk away.

"That's the point. Here's a bag for you."

"Why are you getting so excited?"

"I'm not. I'm offering you something. You respond by saying 'Thank you', and picking up after your dog."

"What the hell is your problem?"

"I just don't enjoy stepping in it."

Eventually he picked it up. Perhaps the rubbing-in-the-hair technique would have been more easily understood, but I was in a good mood...

is their a video of this exchange on youtube perhaps

It sounds even funnier live

[rsb320]

That's something I always notice in Eastern Europe (especially Budapest) is that people let their dogs poop anywhere anytime; they just don't care. I think it goes back to Soviet times when there was no ownership of property and thus no pride in your surroundings. It's still very much a part of the culture. People will own flashy cars and clothes and electronics, but then live in the crappiest apartments and refuse to fix them up. They haven't developed the notion of having pride in where you live yet.

Maybe that's true of these dog owners who let their critters foul other people's properties. Maybe if they put some effort into taking care of their own place they might not see other people's places as having less value.

It was most definitely western Europe and most likely London or Paris. They were making an effort to keep it off the sidewalk. Guess it was ok if car ran over it, or they had hired scoopers. I don't know.

I think those were the good ole days when bone meal was the standard dog food fare so the poop would dry up white, crust over, and blow away. Today, its not bone meal anymore...its like solid organics or something...and the poop is less likely to dry up and blow away. Heck, I've even seen some of todays poops survive an afternoon rain storm.

I forgot that. Old poop was alway white. That's why when I give my dog a bone, rocks come out.

Sorry, what was this topic about? Oh, irresponsible pet owners. Do it in your own yard or pick it the hell up. Done, easy as that. Watch your step.

[sevfiv]

http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/vi...?videoId=123829

lol

[dbigtex56]

is their a video of this exchange on youtube perhaps

Unfortunately, no. In retrospect, it was pretty funny.

Also, my gratitude to fellow HAIFers for not posting photos on this thread.

[Ross]

On occasions where I know where the dog lives, I've been known to pick up the poop and take it to the appropriate house. this has evoked exchanges like this

Dog Owner "What are you doind putting that crap in my yard?"

Me "Your dog left this in my yard, and I thought you might want it back."

DO "Are you f*&^ing kidding me?"

Me "You don't want this in your yard? It belongs to your dog."

DO ""You can't be for real"

Me "I see, it's OK to leave it in my yard, but not OK to leave in your yard. Kind of a double standard, don't you think?"

DO slams door while cursing, but carefully avoids my yard in the future.

We could start a whole new thread on people who think it's OK to walk their dogs without a leash.

[RedScare]

Unfortunately, no. In retrospect, it was pretty funny.

Also, my gratitude to fellow HAIFers for not posting photos on this thread.

[CoolBuddy06]

This thread is interesting. I don't live in Houston and don't know if Manvel has any law against it, but this shouldn't be a matter of law. Isn't there something called 'civility'? The lady next to my immediate neighbor do a great job picking up after her dogs but there are two dogs that come from the next street to poop in my yard. It is annoying. Their owner(s) let them off at night, ROUTINELY. They are very healthy and well fed. I know because the poops have grown bigger over time.

Please advise me. Is there any law against maiming a dog if it scares your two-year-old on your own property?

What I'm talking about is bigger than any of these three you posted by the way.