Doggy Dos and Don'ts

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The other day I came home to my flat after a lovely day with some of my oldest friends and what did I find? Dog shite right outside my gate. Not just like tiny pellets or a left over amount that was missed when picking up some of it, I’m talking a ring of droppings as though this dog had marked the spot for treasure. Unfortunately this is not a unique experience on my street- so I’m not sure why I was so surprised, but I was.

Instantly my good mood evaporated. I deduced that owing to my struggle to get through the gate in the first place (a kind of leap frog/hop job), getting out wouldn’t be too much better. I rolled up my sleeves popped on some rubber gloves (which are now in the bin) got some hot water in a bucket, eco bleach and bin bags to dispose of the obstructions.

Whilst I was washing this off my path, a lady and her child attempted to pass, so I naturally stopped chucking water onto the pavement, cause I’m nice like that. She congratulated me for cleaning up and said that her daughter hadn’t wanted to walk home on this side as they had navigated the dog poo earlier. Proud that I had served not only my own shoe safety, but also done my civic shoe duty to the surrounding community- I proceeded to throw a total of 5 buckets of water on the obstacles with a conclusion that this was the best it was going to get.

Naturally I was exhausted after all of this exercise, so I declined a night out with friends and instead mused over my ordeal instead (half true the full reason is that I had also been out the night before- I am much in demand.) I determined that a lack of responsibly was in operation by this dog owner and on a wider basis, hence the regularity of such an issue on my street. Either the owner was blind (it is getting lighter with the coming spring weather in the UK so I have ruled that explanation out) or they just didn’t give sh **where their dog sh**. I decided on the latter.

As the proud sister of 3 doggies, 1 fully grown and 2 puppies, I have grown up with the mantra of always picking up after my pets: I have been taught that that is what a responsible pet owner does. Arguably, if my street was in the middle of the countryside, then this would be a different matter. I can understand why dog owners leave their dog’s waste, as it will not bother anyone due to limited foot traffic. But there is no excuse for a busy London street. Pick up your dogs sh**. The act of ownership makes it yours, so stop shi**ing in front of other people’s doors!

In the same vein, I cannot understand the point of picking up your dog’s foul and then proceeding to drop the bags on the floor. As though picking it up has brought you such exhaustion that you are incapable of carrying a small bag until you reach a bin- you must instead leave said bag on the pavement. Absolute madness. Arguably, there is an infrequency of bins in London- the reasoning behind this spans, I am told, from the IRA leaving bombs in bins in the 70s to today’s terror situations. However, more dog bins would be an idea- eliminating the argument for lazy owners that there were no bins.

On the subject of dogs, I must also mention the irresponsibility of owners leaving their animals in cars without open windows in the heat and in direct sunlight. Saying that, even opening a window will not allow an adequate flow of air for them. Just don’t leave them in the car dehydrated and boiling. On a similar note, walking animals in the heat of the day especially around midday when it is peak summer is again reprehensible. If it’s hot to you, imagine what it must be like if you have a thick layer of fur coating every limb and are attempting to walk on ground which has absorbed the full unflinching scorching beams for hours without a layer of protective rubber.

The takeaway of this rant is therefore: be responsible, if you are not willing to put your pet's general well-being first- then don’t get a bloomin' dog. And whomever’s dog is shi**ing outside my flat, I’m watching.