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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Pick up after your damn dog, ffs!!

59 replies

QueenoftheDay · 30/10/2019 09:31

Argh!! I need a rant.

I am just home from walking my five year old to school. Combination of paths and streets, lots of kids walking to and from school.

Every time it is a stressful game of dodge the poo. It is everywhere. On one particular path it is smeared horizontally across the width of path. It is even on the pavements just outside the school. I am not exaggerating, there is loads of it.

Who are these people? These absolute brass necked fuckers who can just walk away and leave a steaming pile of shite behind them??

We live in a “nice” area - mainly professionals, families and elderly people. There are plenty of red bins. Plenty of signs up reminding people to pick up after their dog but still this issue is awful.

I like dogs fine. Don’t have one because we both work long hours and have small children, but I bear them no grudge. It is the horrible, filthy owners.

There are plenty of dog owners on Mumsnet. What’s your reason for not picking up the poo? This is a common problem so there must be some of you out there.

😡😡😡

OP posts:
Noflora · 30/10/2019 09:40

I live overlooking a favoured dog walking area. I do see people picking up but as often as not it isn't. Often people are chatting and miss the event, or it happens behind them and they just don't notice. I cringe when I see it , the grass is used a lot for play and picnics.

BrutusMcDogface · 30/10/2019 09:42

I think walking down a path with your mutt makes it impossible to “not notice”. If they’re running round a field and not bring watched, maybe.

Op I’m with you, and if it weren’t for the fact that we’re on half term this week, I’d think you lived in my town!

queenMab99 · 30/10/2019 09:47

Nobody is going to own up to this, as there is no reason or excuse. I once asked a man who was in his garden for a bucket of water to swill the pavement, as although I had picked up what I could, there was still a mess.
(New puppy, unexpected tummy upset)

PookieDo · 30/10/2019 09:49

I walk my dog every day obviously and perhaps I just live in a different type of place because I rarely see poo and the bins are always quite full quite fast!
I always pick up but am mortified when he craps near someone’s house

Either people aren’t paying attention to the dog (on their phone), they don’t have any bags with them or the just don’t care

GruffalOH · 30/10/2019 09:53

It is truly revolting. I'd go so far as to remove dogs from those who aren't responsible enough to pick up after them. Since carrying nappy sacks, I'm now that person who chases after people I see leaving the mess behind and say "I guess you forgot your bags today! Here, use this!"

My only comfort is that presumably they too occasionally end up with it on their shoes/ buggy wheels etc. I hope they dare not complain when it happens to them.

Wheat2Harvest · 30/10/2019 09:59

My home overlooks an area that is popular with dog walkers, so I often see dogs crapping and the owners not picking it up. This is usually because they allow the unleashed dogs to walk behind them while they're chatting to someone else or on their phone or just staring ahead so that they don't see it squat. This might not be so relevant in built-up areas with pavements. I suspect that the owners don't like the feeling of warm faeces in a plastic bag so don't bother.

While I feel that dog mess should always be picked up in urban areas, in parks and on footpaths it would make more sense for owners to take a pair of tongs with them and remove the dog sausages to under a hedge or somewhere, so no-one will step in it. I hate seeing people putting dog mess in non-biodegradable bags and knowing it will be in landfill forever.

Original poster
QueenoftheDay · 30/10/2019 10:16

Not paying attention and not noticing is frankly not good enough. It’s not an excuse. It is hour job to notice. It is your responsibility. Picking up the poo is just part of dog ownership. Don’t like it? Don’t have a dog. It really is that simple.

OP posts:
thistimelucky · 30/10/2019 10:21

I feel your pain OP. For some reason locals around here think it's acceptable to let there dog poo on my front lawn too!! Not at the side - slap bang in the middle!! (I'm positive I've not upset any neighbours too!) I have my own dog there is no way you can miss your dog on a lead stop to do his business it's just pure laziness Angry

NuffingChora · 30/10/2019 10:23

I live in a similarly ‘naice’ area - I’m a complete poo-picking militant, will go diving in to the undergrowth with a baby strapped to me just to make sure I pick up after our dog. And the thing I’ve noticed is that the worst culprits are the elderly... I don’t know if it’s because picking up after your dog wasn’t really a ‘thing’ decades ago, or if it’s because of mobility issues, but there are several owners of large dogs round here (with apparently appalling diets, judging by what they produce...) who NEVER pick up. A couple of them have noticed that I’ve clocked them and will actively wait until I’m out of sight before walking off from where their dog has just sh*t, even while holding a bag... instead of just picking it up?! I don’t understand. It’s so frustrating, particularly as the parent of a toddler who loves being outdoors, and also someone who pushes a pram. Disgusting.

BarbarAnna · 30/10/2019 10:23

I have a dog again after several years break and it seems much worse this time as more and more dog owners seem to spend their walks on their phones. I am noticing it because my dog wants to play with all other dogs and other owners just aren’t supervising their dogs because they run up to mine and prance of growl and the owners don’t notice. So I doubt they would notice a poo either.

Noflora · 30/10/2019 10:23

But unfortunately it isn't simple to enforce. I'm not sure I've ever read that a local person has been fined let alone had their dog removed. I guess the council is far too squeezed financially to actively do anything. I think a dog licence that costs enough to cover dog wardens and poo patrol may be worth consideration.

YouJustDoYou · 30/10/2019 10:25

There's a selfish fucker that walks their large dog early in the morning before the school run. LOVES to leave their dog's shit all over the pavement. He residents in the street have put up signs asking whomever it is to please please please stop doing it, but they won't.

aweedropofsancerre · 30/10/2019 10:26

I have watched dog owners strolling along with there giant breed having a horse size poo behind them and they take no notice what so ever. I shouted at them and told them to pick it up and they got all offended. I saw an older couple with a small dog who had just pooped outside a school and they went to walk off and i handed them a poo bag. I am a dog owner myself and find it shocking that owners think this is ok

Original poster
QueenoftheDay · 30/10/2019 10:29

I have never caught someone in the act. If I did I wouldn’t hesitate to chase them down. I suspect elderly too. I mainly see harassed looking mums with dogs and they always pick up.

OP posts:
Original poster
QueenoftheDay · 30/10/2019 10:33

Honestly see if I didn’t have to work i would be going on a crusade on this issue. I’m genuinely considering starting a name and shame Facebook page along the lines of that parking like a cunt one.

OP posts:
HunterAngel · 30/10/2019 11:09

I don’t understand the mentality of it. I’ve always cleaned up after my hound to the best of my ability. I find it gets worse this time of year when people think the dark nights mean they don’t have to pick up after their dog.

Minai · 30/10/2019 11:30

It’s so annoying. I’ve got it on my pram wheels so many times recently it’s disgusting. I walked past a woman complaining to anyone woman about someone having flytipped a bin bag on a footpath while she watched her dog poo on the footpath and walked off!

Minai · 30/10/2019 11:31

*another not anyone

Yokohamajojo · 30/10/2019 11:31

Same outside our school it's horrendous. Also on our street, I thought I knew all dogs that lived in our street as I have one myself but never been able to work out who it is!

I get that there will always be irresponsible dog owners and outside school but even so, outside school gates. Takes a lot of stupid to let your dog do that!

What also baffles me is that most dogs that I have come across or know would wait until they get to the park/grass area to do their business. Do these street pooing dogs never get walked in parks?

Original poster
QueenoftheDay · 30/10/2019 11:34

I don’t think it’s stupid. I think it’s just absolutely zero fucks. Selfish pricks.

OP posts:
FionaOgre · 30/10/2019 11:41

I read a post by a fella who was so sick of dogs shitting on his street, he grabbed the steaming poop up off the floor with his gloves on, shouted to the woman walking away, "S'cuse me love, you dropped this. It's yours" and when she put her hand out for whatever she thought she had dropped, he slapped it right into her palm, pulled his gloves off and dumped them in his bin.
Some heroes don't wear capes. They do wear gloves though.

One day I'd love the balls to do that.

FionaOgre · 30/10/2019 11:49

There's a large dog (or I assume it's large) in our area that poops at the primary school gates at least weekly, if not most days. If the poop is not directly outside the school gates then it's on the pavement within 30 yards. Guaranteed it'll be stood on and then spread by numerous kids in the morning until it's almost unavoidable.
I live close by and am very tempted to set my dash cam onto continuous record in my car and leave it parked facing the gates overnight. We could then maybe return the poop to the owner or take the evidence to the relevant authority and hope they get a fine.

Original poster
QueenoftheDay · 30/10/2019 11:52

Fiona I love this story and I wish I was there for the aftermath Grin would love to be thag brave.

A relative of mine had a neighbour who constantly let his dog poo in other people’s gardens. One night my relative lost his shit. Picked up a piece of wood or something and catapulted it back over the fence.

OP posts:
Original poster
QueenoftheDay · 30/10/2019 11:52

i live close by and am very tempted to set my dash cam onto continuous record in my car and leave it parked facing the gates overnight. We could then maybe return the poop to the owner or take the evidence to the relevant authority and hope they get a fine

Oh my god please do it

OP posts:
BarbourellaTheCoatzilla · 30/10/2019 11:56

We had a neighbour that would just let his dog out into the street. It wasn't a quiet street either there was a take away, shop and nursery on this road and was a bus route so there were cars constantly. It would run onto the grass verges and shit there and on the paths. I got so sick of it one day I saw it poo and he called it over and went into the house. I bagged it up and knocked on his door and handed it over. I told him I would be calling the council dog team every single time I saw that dog roaming the street. I would video the dog and call them. Happened 5 or 6 times eventually I would stop seeing the dog and then we moved so I hope he learned his lesson.