It seems pretty simple, right? It's a beautiful day and time to head out and walk the dog. While out walking, your dog does his business and, like a responsible dog owner, you pick up the mess.
Done, end of story. We wish it were that simple.
Why is it that so many dog owners forget or even refuse to clean up after their pet?
We see it quite frequently from our office window. We border on a parking lot, which many patrons use to frequent businesses on Cowrie Street. Just this morning we witnessed from our office window someone walking their do. The dog poop all over the parking lot. We thought the owner would bend down to scoop up the mess, but no. She just kept on walking. Now this means that some other person will get the task of either cleaning it up or will step in it and ruin their day.
The dog poop problem also seems to be a major concern at West Sechelt Elementary School.
We received a letter to the editor this week from a concerned parent and PAC member who said their school yard is being turned into a "mine field of dog crap."
Children, parents, visitors to the school and school staff have had to literally hose themselves off because the problem is getting so bad.
We know there are lots of responsible dog owners who always make sure to bring along a baggie with them and clean up after their pooch, but why must so many people turn a blind eye to this problem?
This is supposed to be a civilized society where we help out our fellow citizens. Instead, some people choose to use public places, parking lots, alleys, parks and anywhere else they can find as their own little toilet.
Kids should be thinking about their math homework, not calling mom or dad at work to bring them some new clothes because they are covered in dog poop.
Let's have some pride in our community and take some care. Scoop the poop - it's the responsible thing to do.
