March 7--Dog-Owner Friends

The process of falling in love at first sight is as final as it is swift in such a case, but the growth of true friendship may be a lifelong affair.  --Sarah Orne Jewett

    I'm writing today about what may seem a rather bizarre aspect of friendship. That would be picking up poop after your dog. 

    I grew up in the country where dogs and cats roamed, and the idea of cleaning up dog poop would have been thought silly. However, now I live in town near a park where lots of dogs are walked regularly. That includes our dog, Barney. My husband and I sometimes refer to the park as a "dog toilet." That's not very flattering. 

    Dog poop and kids' sneakers have a cosmic magnetism. If I was lucky, I caught the misstep before they tracked the poop into the house. Many a time I used a stick and toothpicks to clean dog poop out of sneaker treads. 

    If Barney had his way, he would smell every pile of poop left along his path. Disgusting as it is, some dogs eat other dogs' poop. Diseases can be spread through dog poop. It's no fun to look at. 

    I don't know if it is laziness, ignorance or arrogance that causes some dog owners not to clean up after their pup(s). I definitely cannot think of any good excuse for such behavior. Please be a friend to the rest of us on the planet and clean up after your "best friend."

    Rant finished, 

        Leta

Barney, the poop sniffer