Damn Dog Shit.

[DuckWalkedUpToALemonadeStand]

Yet another 20 minutes of my life scraping dog shit off my kids' shoes. Was dark, couldn't see the path, suddenly noticed the stench, there it is.

This is all too commonplace.
What can we do about it?

No, not winding you up. And I’m not one of those hyper-fastidious MNers who thinks family underwear needs to be separated from other stuff in the washing machine, or anything like that.

Dog shit is a different story, far more toxic. Really, don’t put it in your machine. Similar reasoning to the classic MN “loo brush in the dishwasher” debate. There will be particles.

if you want to get the trainers really clean of dog mess, stand outside and go at them with some kind of cleaning product and/or kitchen roll that you can then chuck in the bin. Use an old toothbrush for crevices if need be and then chuck that too.

Round where I live there aren’t many dogs, and I live in a cul de sac, so no dog walkers come down here. However, foxes play here every night and there are piles of fox shit left on a daily basis.
So not necessarily are dogs and their owners to blame every time imo.

@stuntbubbles cats do though. And no one picks up cat shit.

Dog poo is vile but cat and fox is even worse. I reckon at least 90% of owners pick up round here, but that still leaves mess. Really cannot believe the pee on the pavement fuss tho, that’s just silly.

Can we do the same for cat owners, please?

Its a thing, dogs are micro chipped, no reason not to DNA sample at same time chip is done.

In problem areas i.e. schools play areas, dog shit tested, owners traced.

Licence fee pays for it, its not as if owners can't afford it, puppy prices have rockets since covid and yet dog ownership has boomed, a one off £500 per dog seems reasonable.

However, i suspect the prospect of a large fine would ensure the issue goes away.

Dog nappies, they are available on Amazon.
That way the owner takes the offending stuff home with them.

I don’t like cat poo either and haaaaaaaaate that cats commandeer my garden as their loo. It’s vile. But the law is cats are free to do that, whereas dog owners are meant to pick up their dog’s poo: lots don’t. So how do we enforce them doing so? Plus, while cats ruin my garden, they rarely crap on the pavement, so my toddler is unlikely to walk through it.

I am a dog owner. Obviously I pick up after my dog because it's gross not to. But the idea of stopping dogs doing their business outside their home isn't actually realistic. Things that make it harder to have a dog just mean rescues will be even more overflowing than they already are. I don't know what the answer is but more dogs left in rescue centres for the rest of their lives isn't it.

Do you like pets at all? I don't like cat or dog poo at all which is why i have pet gerbils (their poo is not gross). at least children get toilet trained eventually!

60% of UK households have pets and that is mainly dogs and cats. Even the ones with hamsters/gerbils/guinea pigs are usually multi-pet households who have dogs and cats in addition to small animals! And most people in this country have cats that roam free/dogs that poo in the street or in parks.

Maybe we should also do dna tests on twats that leave giant shits floating in public toilets, sanitary pads on floor, excrement on toilet doors ( thankfully only seen that once) or skid marks. We could have a turd warden who tracks down the owner of the shit offence to their house and makes them clean it up. Do you know what is worse than any of this is lazy parents leaving potty training until school so teachers have to change their fucking nappies. Unless they have a disability they should not be allowed on school premises until they have bowel and bladder control. The smell of shit lingers around the class it’s totally unfair on the other kids and it’s dirty and unhygienic

Also cats usually bury their poo and it will just biodegrade. Dog shit on pavements is grim but I think perhaps cameras would be better or video footage. Might be a deterrent at least. Some of you seem to be using your hatred of animals to punish them eg suggesting nappies, not allowing them to go to the toilet when walking or making them eat substances which makes their poo turn a certain colour. If anyone is to blame it’s the owner. Don’t punish the dog or cat. Humanity is awful at the best of times. We need to treat the beautiful creatures of this earth with care and respect to live along side us.

😴💩

Drives me mad. I am a dog owner/lover and pick up 100% of the time. When my boys were little I remember yelling to avoid the dog poo so often then getting grumpy when they stood in it. Then feeling guilty for being grumpy as it's not anyone's fault except the lazy arse dog owner. When I walk the dog I see people walking and chatting with the dog behind pretending not to think of the fact their dog may be pooing whilst they stomp ahead. When I see it I call it out. Gives all the dog owners a bad name.

My dog prefers the grass for his toilet, as do most. But I 100% still pick up.

Not the dog’s fault, but exactly why dogs should not be in eateries or public buildings.

I don’t hate animals. I’m vegan. I do hate stepping in dog shit, cleaning it off shoes and bike wheels, and I also hate the hypocrisy of pet owners professing to love animals whilst feeding their chosen pet the bodies of numerous other sentient creatures. Actually, we would be better off eradicating pets, resulting in fewer farmed animals being slaughtered, and less shit.

But you often can't pick it all up. There'll b traces of it left on the grass. Traces that toddlers will crawl in, faceplant on, or people just want to sit down on.

The solutions as I see them then, if a dog has to shit when you're out, is to have designated shitting areas for dogs.

I don''t think pet ownership is going to decrease any time soon. People have pets as substitute children, substitute partners, substitute friends. A mark of how Westernized a society is the attitude towards pets. its why you find doggy boutiques and pet friendly restaurants in countries like Singapore, Japan, South Korea but less so in the Gulf states. People live far more isolated lives in urban settings, this means that they hanker for the companionship of animals.

The most popular animals are dogs and cats, rather than gerbils and guinea pigs! So yes there would be more dogs and cats.

People are gross too. I'm all for encouraging people not to snot in public, and hate our alcohol culture where people drink too much of a night that they vomit. Fine them too. CCTV cameras, and charge the drunk vomiters. Same for people pissing in the street. Well, that's pretty much just men, isn't it.

No, I'm not feeling ok. I'm angry and fed up about what I had to deal with last night, am absolutely sick of it. It's intolerable. So yes, let's set up a database, bring back licenses to fund it, fund CCTV as per pp's suggestion, hire wardens, and get street-cleaning vehicles in every city, town, village. Funded by people who want to own a dog.

Don't take your dog out then, if you can't ensure the area isn't clean for the rest of us.

I'm sorry you got burgled.

I doubt people want to sit on the grass verges on the streets near me OP. There'll also be traces of all sorts of stuff on there. Grass isn't exactly the cleanest thing to sit on is it. Honestly, I think you're being extremely precious. Clearly it's not even good enough for you for dog owners to pick up after their dogs. Would you prefer that all animals are exterminated?

Your dog loves that you feed and house it. Stop feeding and housing it, and it will go where it is fed and housed. Dogs don't love. They are dogs, not humans. They just know where to get free food and board.

Think next time I will take bottle of water, scrubbing brush and cleaning product, when I take the dogs for a walk.

why do homeless people have dogs then? Its a pretty poor living environment for a dog. But they seem to stay with their owners.

I don't have a dog btw.