To ask a blind woman to pick up her dog's poo near the school gate?

[AdventuresWithVoles]

Actually, I didn't have the nerve to ask, and I can't be 100% sure it was her dog thought the circumstantial evidence was quite compelling.
If it happens again, wwyd?

rhubarb no I have no sight. I do agree that asking someone to pick up after a dog if they're not actually sure it was their dog is unreasonable - regardless of whether that dog was a guide dog.

I also agree that it is appreciated if someone did pick up after the dog on my behalf but it would not be an expectation on my part iyswim. Even owning a guide dog comes with responsibility for those around us, someone doesn't want to have to step in my dog's crap any more than the yap terrier down the road's crap iyswim - crap is crap regardless of where it came from.

Moving on from blind people, what about elderly people? I have seen an old lady with a dog who poos just about anywhere, and she blithely walks on. She always seems to walk it at school coming-out time, too. If someone can't bend down, surely they could use one of those "picker uppers" to retrieve the poo (yeuurgh). I think someone could at least get the dog to go in the gutter.

Caramel, not everyone is equipped with a doggy bag.

I've seen lots of dogs poo whilst walking, although admittedly their owners were desperately trying to walk on as though nothing was happening whilst the dogs were clearly crapping all over the pavement! If this was the case here, I'm damn sure the old lady would not have stopped where she did and would not have put her grandchild in such close proximity to the dog shite.

Which means either she genuinely didn't notice the dog taking a long walking crap or that her dog didn't actually do it but was unfortunately the only dog spotted by the presumptious OP.

Actually OP i've reconsidered and what you should have done is collected a sample yourself and taken it for DNA testing at the local PDSA or RSPCA or Police and had then enter the profile on the National Dogs Register.

When you go visiting those agencies with your complaint don't be surprised if they look at you rather strange. It's not that you are unreasonable or weird it's just that no many people have the balls to complain that strongly so they may need to go find someone more superior who knows the rules more than the receptionist, but you go girl and you stand your ground.

Incidentally maybe they should also have a national dog sex offenders register for doggies that's have sex in the street while mums are driving the little ones to school. Perhaps the OP could campaign against that too.

It's one of my "pet" hates, dog crap on the pavement, but come ON! Give the woman a break.

Caramel, the "huge" danger of Toxocariasis is hugely over-estimated. Cases are rare in the UK.

If it was happening every day then yes I could maybe agree with telling her. But it was a one off!!!!!

You say you want to say something beofre it becomes a habit! It probably won't become a habit. Dogs get upset stomachs as well.

Like someone else said it could dent the woman's confidence. Please don't say anyhting unless it starts shitting every day. Even then I think if it was me I'd just pick the poo up.

Chops

Go husky sledging those critters poo whilst running.

wannaBe, I think in this case though, the fact that the OP was even considering in confronting the blind old lady about this is just jaw-droppingly rude.

She did not see the dog shit on the pavement.
Nevertheless she acts as judge and jury and pronounces the dog guilty on the sole evidence that the poo looked fresh and the dog was the only one she could see.
Following her guilty verdict she felt she had the right to confront the old lady in front of her grandchild (who presumably had not see the poo either).
No doubt she also felt she had the right to insist that the old lady pick up the poo in front of onlookers and herself.

Personally I think there should be fixed penalty points given out to rude and obnoxious people too. The OP would have set a fine example there.

OMG are you serious??

Have you seriously thought about this so much as to feel the need to ask advice on a chat forum?

In the words of my dh 'Get a bloody life!'

"OP - there but for the grace of god goes you - and I hope should you ever be in that situation you wouldn't 'meet yourself' for your own sake
One of the nastiest threads I've seen for a while"

mygladheart, I just reached for the "like" button that MN doesn't have then.

I am legally blind but have some sight. I will be getting a guide dog in a few years when I am no longer pushing a double buggy. Then I will be picking up dog poo. Possibly while on the school run, if the dog has a problem.

I am also partially deaf (as are a subset of blind people), so I expect it would be quite difficult for me to understand exactly what / where you meant if you stopped me in the street to tell me that my dog might have poo'd. I'd do my best to respond to you. You'd probably have to guide me back to the spot and stand there with your finger pointing closely to the poo though. Quite awkward for both of us! :)

Wannabe - I knew there was someone on MN who had sight problems.

Can I hijack and ask you something as a friend of mine has recently become completely blind overnight. What software do you use for the internet, MN in general. Are there specialist computers?

VivaLeBeaver - try googling for some software called JAWS. I don't use it, but I know that many people who are completely blind do.

Therhubarb, you don't need a doggy bag though. You can pick it up with a nappy sack, or a plastic bag, or even a folded piece of A4 paper.

I have seen my neighbours pick up up dog poo not from their dogs, because we live near a popular dog walk and it would be unpleasant if we didn't do it. And it sets an example - if you see somebody else taking responsibility, you are more likely to take responsibility yourself.

Thankyou BedHopper.

I don't have a dog so I see no reason why I should pick up other people's dog shite.

And I'm not in the habit of carrying around plastic bags or A4 pieces of paper. My children are grown and in school so I often have nothing on me save an old receipt or two which I'm most certainly not using to clean up after someone else's mutt!

Besides, if you went around picking up their poo for them, then why should they do it?

How about we just micro-chip each and every dog and make breeders get a licence. There should be fines for dog owners without a licence and unspayed dogs. That would encourage responsible dog ownership which in turn would help keep dog shit and dangerous dogs off the streets.

Graham, I know it isn't really a huge danger, but plenty of people do. In which case, why don't they pick it up when they come across it?

If I saw syringe in a park, I wouldn't just leave it. I'd either tell somebody who was responsible for disposing of it, or in their absence, dispose of it myself. I wouldn't just leave it there for a child to step on.

Either people are moaning about dog poo out of all proportion to the actual risks, or they are being irresponsible in not picking up when they come across it.

wannabe is confident because her dog picks up his own poo and he also does her cooking! Tell them wannabe

I notice that OP has done a disappearing act - hopefully to sit and think about her attitude.

If I was blind, I think the last problem I'd be worrying about is my dog having an accident. Just pick it up yourself!

Shame on you :(

Great, Floflo. I want one of those dogs. Could I have one who will finish off my PhD for me too, please? :)

Rhubarb, I'm not saying you personally have to do it. I'm saying if people are that bothered about it, then pick it up.

It is the same with rubbish - some rubbish officialdom person has just been in to DD's primary school to tell them not just to put their own rubbish in the bin, but also rubbish left by other people. Lots of people do this and I think it makes people act more responsibly for their own waste, not less.

Or you could have just used a stick to move it into the gutter. I can't even begin to imagine why you would be so irate about a blind person possibly not picking up after their dog.

OP, YABVU!