It’s officially Spring, and the snow is melting. In days, the first green shoots will emerge. The robins and geese are here. Hearts will lift, and many of us will soon make our first pilgrimage to the garden centre. But there is a dark side to this for those of us that like to walk our trails and visit our parks. The disappearance of the snow reveals a winter’s supply of dog poop. Talking about “supply”, did you know that dogs poo about twice as much as humans? In New York, they estimate that annually they produce about 100,000 tons of it. Why do some dog owners ignore their dog’s business? We have all had that walk where we discovered we had forgotten a bag. We have all been distracted in thought or by our phones and missed it. But it is clear that some of us don’t care and consistently refuse to pick up. 

Why? 

Dogs are a wonderful part of our lives and our community. Many regular dog walkers are not sure of the names of other owners, but most of us know the names of the dogs we see regularly. Dog owners, by definition, care. 

So, why? 

Having a dog is a responsibility that all dog owners assume. 

So why? If this is you, ask yourself why you do this.