Picking up the Poop

There is a hot debate on another site where I write http://www.helium.com/user/show/80285/, about pooper scooper laws. Here is my opinion on the topic.

All too often a dog's mess left behind by an irresponsible owner becomes someone elses problem. For this reason, and many others, requiring pet owners to clean up after their pets should be mandatory.

Besides a common courtesy to others, leaving behind dog poop could be hazardous to our health. Scientists have discovered that dog poop is a major cause of water pollution, and that such pollution poses a significant hazard to human health.
Canine waste contains lots of unhealthy bacteria with almost unpronounceable names: fecal streptococcus and fecal coliforms are just two examples. In sufficiently high amounts, these bacteria can make people sick.

Dog waste also contains other not-so-lovely disease-transmitting organisms such as roundworms. These parasites can cause their human victims to lose their vision temporarily, as well as trigger coughs and fevers.

As a dog owner, it always amazes me when people don't clean up after their pets when walking outside. The left over poop could be stepped in by other humans, kids, or animals, increasing the risk of spreading disease.
There continue to be public parks and walking trails looking to ban dogs. The main reason? Because of the mess dogs leave. The problem is, it's not the dog's fault, it's the owners. And now, responsible dog owners are suffering because others aren't cleaning up after their pets.

If a person doesn't want to clean up a little dog poop, why get the dog in the first place? That's one of the very simple responsibilities of having a pet. And for those of people who do clean up, they're stuck suffering the consequences of those who
leave a mess behind.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Amboy Times, Rosemary's Thoughts, The Random Yak, and Big Dog's Weblog, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.