Do you pick up after your dog?
By prestocaro
@prestocaro (1251)
United States
March 14, 2007 2:13pm CST
I live in Austin, TX and here it's a ticketable offense to leave your dog's excrement in a public place. Most parks here are outfitted with posts that dispense something called a "mutt mitt". If you've never had the pleasure of seeing one, let me describe it: It's about the shape of those long plastic sleeves they use for newspapers on a rainy day, but at the bottom, it has much sturdier plastic on the outside. You put your hand inside, pick up the waste, and with your other hand pull the sleeve up over the waste, then knot it and throw it out. These mutt mitts are biodegradable and free to the public (for right now), and I was just wondering... How many of you use these or other methods to pick up your dog's mess? How many just look around to see who saw and leave it there? If you had access to a mutt mitt, would you use one?
I always pick up after my dog -- I think It's rude and gross not to, especially at a park or in someone's front yard! But there have been occaisions when I am without a mutt mitt and I have to leave it there.
7 people like this
14 responses
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
14 Mar 07
I always pick up after my dog too. He lives inside the home with us but sometimes he gets crumbs in his bed or on the floor from his dog food or his treats. He also drips water on the floor when he gets a drink. I clean it up as soon as I see it. We let him out to play in the front yard. He uses the bathroom in the back yard though. I can't stand when he poops in the yard and it just lays there. I will go out and scoop it up or I will have my daughter do it. I don't want anyone to step in it. I also do not want to suck it up in my lawn mower bad either. That is very stinky and nasty too.
3 people like this
@prestocaro (1251)
• United States
14 Mar 07
My dog will not only lick up his crumbs, but he will clean the surrounding floor/bed/what have you in an effort to get as much residual cheese cookie crumbs into his mouth as possible. I once knew a bulldog who had his own little towel by his water bowl for wiping his face. Bulldogs are very slobbery!
1 person likes this
@AugBoyz (79)
• Singapore
15 Mar 07
We always bring along a bag to pick up our dog's poo. Other then the nation's garden, our neighbourhood parks do not have bags or the "mutt mitt" so every owner shld bring their own bag. But some people do not bother to pick up after their dog, they think that to bring their dogs downstairs to do its business outdoor means they can save the effort of cleaning up. So sometimes u do see poo on the grass.
I have a question, how do u clean the pee? There was once my silly dog pee on the walkway. I did not have any water with me, neither there is any water available nearby. After standing there for a min or so, i decided to walk away feeling guilty n praying tt no one saw wat my dog did n point their fingers at me.
@prestocaro (1251)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Oh, the fine only applies to fecal matter. I don't know how one would clean up the urine!
1 person likes this
@quatelmon (955)
• United States
14 Mar 07
I live in New York City. I wish that there were free mutt mitts here!!! I buy a biodegradable brand of poop bags, and bring them with me when we go for our walks. However, in the winter, he uses a litter pan with a wee wee pad in it since he is only 8 lbs and could easily get sick in the snow (or I might lose him in the snow when the snow is higher than his head!!!)
It's really gross here, because a lot of people don't clean up after their dogs. It's really gross, and is how a lot of diseases are spread from dog to dog (there are really no diseases that humans can get from dogs)
2 people like this
@prestocaro (1251)
• United States
14 Mar 07
If my dog was that small, I would use your piddlepad/litterbox idea, it's a great one. My dog is about ten times the size of yours, so I don't think I can find a litter box big enough, lol. Last time I was in New York, I not only stepped in dog mess but in horse mess, too! I thought it was a ticketable offense in NYC, but so is jaywalking and everyone does that as well, right?
1 person likes this
@Bee1955 (3882)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I have a pooper-scooper I bought from a pet shop whenever I take my dog beyond my yard for a walk. At a dog park I used those free mitts also. If you are going to be a responsible pet owner, then you have to clean up after your dog. I wouldnt want to step in it, would you?
1 person likes this
@spiritwolf52 (2300)
•
15 Mar 07
They are thinking of raising the fine here in the UK if you don't pick up after your pooch. I always carry poo bags around with me. My only complaint is, we need more poo bins! There is nothing like having to carry around a couple of poo bags for a couple of miles due to the lack of poo bins. Getting the council to give us more bins is like pulling teeth.
I pick up after our kids. My hubby doesn't like that warm squishy feeling so I get stuck picking up after both pooches.
There are people in our neighborhood that don't pick up the poo. they just leave it in the middle of the sidewalk for someone else to step in. It is really gross.
@prestocaro (1251)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I know what you mean! When I'm out for my morning walk with my dog, it feels like I carry that stinky bag around for a half an hour, lol.
@chertsy (3797)
• United States
15 Mar 07
You can also use plastic bags if you don't have the mutt mitts or can't afford them. I don't let my dog go on walks without having a baggie with me. I wish other people would do the same around here. I have a small dog and I know what she eats, there is big piles that I know her little body couldn't produce it. During the winter I don't care because of it being cold and by spring it does break down into good fertilizer for the grass.
Also speaking what about cats. I have a plant in my back yard close to my house that I trim down before the first freeze. I never see the cat, but I always find what the cat did right on top of where my plant is. Hopefully since its breaking down it will help the plant grow better.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
15 Mar 07
It is an offence here too. There are a number of fancy products available to help pick up poo. The council were giving away these cute little bags that dogs wear around their necks. They are supposed to contain the bag(s) you use to pick up the poos.Of course we have to carry around a spade. Then carry the dog poo bag away. Oghhh. and we are not allowed to put the basgs of dog poo in public rubbish bins.
@marlyse (1056)
• Switzerland
15 Mar 07
of course i do this, because its rude to let it be. its a must for dog owners to do this. but unfortunately i see that most of people dont care and just move away. we have these mutt mitt too here, and i think its a good thing.
@bicklelady (1404)
• United States
16 Mar 07
Well I dont live around any park like that. Maybe in bigger cities. I live out in the country. I have one boxer and he is in a large kennel. We always sovel it out and put it in a wheel barrel and take it out in the woods.
@prestocaro (1251)
• United States
15 Mar 07
That's so funny, I have a friend who lives in Cedar Park in an apt. complex that charges her for pet waste removal! Some poor guy has to go and pick up all the little messes that she leaves. I've noticed that apartment complexes can be the worst.
