Dog Owners Need to Be Responsible

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BAS2008

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Dec 15, 2008, 6:45:47 AM12/15/08
to Fells Dog Owner Group
I am a dog owner who visits the Fells regulary. I find it interesting
that so many of these post discuss the how teribble the police are and
how they
ticket people for having dogs off leash. Yet I fail to see many
complaints about the terible dog owners
who fail to pick up after their dogs, or who pick up and then leave
the
bag for someone else to throw away?

Maybe if dog owners want some respect from non dog owners, they will
take some responsibilty for their actions and clean up after their
dogs. Also, it would be great if dog owners policed themselves and
spoke out when they saw other dog owners not pick up. A few bad dog
owners ruin it for everyone.


Same goes for people who bring their aggressive dogs to the park off
leash. I have been bitten once while running and my dog was bitten on
a
seperate occasion. Both incident were by a German Shepard. By the
reaction of the owners, it was not a surprise that their dog lashed
out.




WhippetGirl

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Dec 15, 2008, 5:28:00 PM12/15/08
to Fells Dog Owner Group
Hiya,

> Yet I fail to see many
> complaints about the terible dog owners
> who fail to pick up after their dogs, or who pick up and then leave
> the bag for someone else to throw away?

No, there's definitely people complaining about that too. It's mostly
venting, though, since I doubt people who take the time to find this
group and read it are the same ones leaving the poop. (Maybe I'm
wrong. Anyone here leave the poop? *g*)

Also, note that many people will bag the poop and then pick it up on
their way out sometimes half an hour later, so not everyone bagging it
and leaving it by the path is abandoning it.

> Also, it would be great if dog owners policed themselves and
> spoke out when they saw other dog owners not pick up.

Absolutely. I think a lot of people don't want to seem rude, but I
just smile a big ol' smile and say, "Oh, are you out of bags? Here, I
have an extra!" and hand the non-scooping owner a bag. Most people
take the hint at that point.

- WG

PGF

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Dec 16, 2008, 5:29:01 AM12/16/08
to Fells Dog Owner Group
I think the practice of leaving bags of dog poop on the ground while
the dog owner walks around, with the idea that the dog owner will come
back and pick it up, is reprehensible. There are hundreds of people
who come there without dogs, or with them, who enjoy the beauty of the
woods - which is hard to appreciate when the landscape is CLUTTERED
with bags of dog mess!

Sorry, but this is a sore subject with me. I've seen the same pink
bag of poop left on one of the trail signs for days. And I wouldn't
be so annoyed if it were a matter of one or two bags left in the
meadow, but it's a lot more than that.

I don't carry around my dogs' mess in plastic bags as a fashion
accessory - I do it because I'm walking the dogs, I don't want to go
back to the dumpster (which means re-leashing them until I'm done my
walk); and one of the dogs has a tendancy to sometimes defecate more
than once. I double or triple-bag to make it less icky. But I sure
as h*ll do not leave the bags an the ground or in trees or on signs!

When I'm at the Sheepfold Meadow, I see lots of dog owners pick up
after their dogs and hold onto the bags or run them back to the
dumpster; so I have no idea who leaves the bags on the ground.'

By the way, some dogs have the bad habit of not just sniffing the bags
of poop, but running off with them - it's unhealthy all around to
leave the things lying around. I know it would be much more
convenient if the park had multiple waste baskets at more than one
part of the meadow; but they don't; so dog owners should just step up
and either hold onto the bags (if one finds the things too icky, you
can use a plastic bag with a handle and either double or triple bag
them or tie the handle around the leash, or bring some kind of
portable container) or keep running them back to the dumpster.


PGF

s1702

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Dec 16, 2008, 1:22:49 PM12/16/08
to Fells Dog Owner Group
You may visit the Fells often but you haven't been on this email list
for long, most of the discussion consists of anger toward bad dog
owners that don't pick up. Are you a police officer?

Recently someone grazed the side of my car while it was parked at CVS
and took off, leaving me with over $1000 of body damage. Some people
are jerks, oh well this is real world.

btw, my german shepherd was bitten in the face by a golden retriever
at the Fells, leaving two bloody holes in her snout, while the owner
was halfway across the field and not paying attention. That really
sucked! Unfortunately I don't think there is any amount of policing
will cure idiocy.

-Scott

On Dec 15, 6:45 am, BAS2008 <baschw...@comcast.net> wrote:

Spottydog

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Dec 16, 2008, 2:59:40 PM12/16/08
to Fells Dog Owner Group
Amen Scott
There's no cure for stupid
> > bag for someone else to throw away?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Sir Chester's Slave

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Dec 17, 2008, 6:29:38 PM12/17/08
to Fells Dog Owner Group
Regretfully, you don't need to visit Sheepfold to run into the small
percentage of dog owners/repeated offenders who have no interest in
cleaning up after their dogs and/or unable to control a dog's bad
behavior.

Responsible dog owners visiting fenced in dog parks with plenty of
barrels and doggie poop bags are in an adventageous position to get
positive results from irresponsible dog owners in such a controlled
environment. To expect the majority of responsible dog owners to
police the small percentage of irresponsible dog owners at an
estimated 10 acres of Sheepfold meadow while diligently watching their
own dogs is a challenging task given there is only one waste disposal
unit/dumpster at the parking lot (no other barrels) in an uncontrolled
environment. To offer a doggie bag may work with some of the absent
minded dog owners who had forgotten to bring their own doggie bags.
Unfortunately, irresponsible dog owners just don't care. They will
either refuse or ignore the kind doggie bag offer and walk away, or
tell you in unpleasant terms to mind your own business. I've
encountered both situations, the latter is not a pleasant experience
when you are told that you can take the doggie bag and stick it in a
place where it doesn't shine.

I've been to other DCR parks with plenty of barrels and less of a dog
waste problem, not to say every dog owner visiting other parks clean
up after his/her dog, there appears to be less dog waste material at
these parks. More barrels will not eliminate the problem of
irresponsible dog owners, but I do believe more barrels will greatly
reduce the number of dog waste filled bags left all over Sheepfold.
It is too bad DCR refuses to add more barrels at Sheepfold. There
are more responsible dog owners visiting Sheepfold than not, and some
of us do pickup doggie filled bags left by others, but it is an uphill
battle without more barrels, considering the number of dogs and dog
owners visiting Sheepfold and the trails of 2,600 acres. To expect
responsible dog owners to police irresponsible dog owners at the
Middlesex Fells of 2600 acres of uncontrolled environment is an
unreasonable request.

BAS2008

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Feb 10, 2009, 1:49:50 PM2/10/09
to Fells Dog Owner Group
Does anyone know when there will be a Dog Clean Up at the Sheep Fold?
All the comments were good ones. Although I must say, I was surprised
to hear that someone who is nicely reminded to clean up after their
dog, would become rude? I would think that with so many good dog
owners around that person would quickly be shunned. And I do agree
that most times it is a dog owner who has run out of bags, forgotten
bags, or just misses their dog going.

It does take some guts to offer a bag to someone else, but if you are
in the right, it shouldnt be a problem.

Sir Chester's Slave

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Feb 13, 2009, 1:40:54 PM2/13/09
to Fells Dog Owner Group
No, it doesn't take guts to approach a dog owner and offer a doggie
bag to him or her, at least I don't have a problem with it. When
responsible dog owners forget to bring doggie bags or run out, they do
ask other dog owners for a doggie bag. I've been asked several times
by responsible dog owners for extra doggie bags. When I've forgotten
my own, I've don't hesitate to ask other dog owners for one. The
problem is not with the responsible dog owners, but with the
percentage of dog owners that just don't care and refuse to clean-up
after their dogs. Do you really think these irrresponsible dog
owners care about being shunned by other dog owners? Maybe it will
work for some, but probably not the majority of offenders. Sheepfold
meadow is about 8 to 10 acres of open field, not all dog owners stay
in the same area, and there is a lot of acres for dogs to run and walk
with their owners at Sheepfold and surrounding beautiful trails. I
agree, we responsible dog owners should offer a doggie bag, if we
witness the incident and can identify the dog owner to the dog.

Since the snow storms, it is sad to notice more dog waste left as
Sheepfold and on the pathways of various trails. We are not dealing
with high grass where it can be difficult to find the dog waste. But
the problem is not just at Sheepfold and the trails, other parks
experienced the same problem as Sheepfold. There is an increase of
dog waste, far too many sizes shapes and forms of dog waste, left in
the middle of the walking paths throughout DCR parks, not just off to
the side or in the woods or on grass areas or near trees. It is
disappointing and somewhat discouraging to see such an increase
instead of decrease in the volume of the dog waste left Sheepfold and
surrounding trails. Now that the snow is melting, there will be even
more dog waste noticeable. I can't speak for others, but I rather
see dog waste filled bags left at various areas of Sheepfold than the
dog waste all over the ground. I for one rather pick up the extra
stranded bags on my way to the parking lot than spend time picking up
the volume of dog waste on the ground or snow left by dog owners who
just don't care. There is no easy solution to this continuous
difficult dog waste problem. Organizing Clean Up Days at Sheepfold
will certainly help reduce the volume of dog waste left at Sheepfold
in the short term and does show that responsible dog owners do care
about the condition of Sheepfold. To minimize or prevent a large
build up in the volume of dog waste at Sheepfold, we probably will
need to help clean up the doggie waste very two weeks just to keep up
with the irresponsible dog owners, an uphill battle, but hopefully a
war that will be won by the majority of responsible dog owners.

DogOwnerWhoVotes

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Feb 14, 2009, 9:19:14 AM2/14/09
to Fells Dog Owner Group
We will definitely schedule a clean-up day at the Sheepfold sometime
soon, as soon as the weather starts to get a little warmer.

I'm glad that people are having this important dialogue about keeping
the park clean. I have noticed several places in the past few weeks--
including wooded areas and a local beach-- where the minority of dog
owners who fail to pick up after their dogs have left way too much
mess in the snow. We will never get 100% compliance, but we have to
do much better. Everyone has the right to a clean park, and as dog
owners we create a terrible impression if we don't clean up after our
dogs.

Until we have a clean-up day, I have one suggestion of how everyone
can help out. When you go to pick up after your dog, before you close
the bag, look for one other stray poop that is on the ground and pick
that up too. It is frustrating to pick up after others who have been
lazy and inconsiderate, but you will be doing your part to help the
rest of us who are good citizens!
> > > reaction of the owners, it was not a surprise that their dog lashed- Hide quoted text -
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