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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What to do about dog poo woman?

386 replies

FrankieDobie · 25/09/2021 07:47

There is a tiny elderly woman who walks her dogs past my house every morning. She’s quite well known due to the fact that she’s about 4ft and walks two giant Irish wolfhounds that are 3 times the size of her. Problem is she doesn’t pick up their shit. The dogs often poo right outside my house. I went out to speak to her last week and asked her nicely if she would mind picking up the dog poo and she smiled sweetly and said “I’m 86 dear, if I bent down there I’d never get back up again!” and walked off.
Anyway there was a post on the neighbourhood Facebook page about people leaving dog poo so I replied saying about this lady and was told I was out of order as she’s so elderly!?

WIBU to mention it or even approach her??

OP posts:
Theunamedcat · 25/09/2021 08:20

If she can't bend down to pick up the poo how is she feeding them? Are they eating on the table? Maybe?

Chesneyhawkes1 · 25/09/2021 08:20

Personally I'd just pick it up myself for her.

I know I shouldn't have to - but one day I'll be that old lady with her dogs and I might need someone to help me 😊

Chesneyhawkes1 · 25/09/2021 08:21

@Theunamedcat she might have those raised up bowls. I had them for my deep chested dog even though I wasn't old 😂

Cocolapew · 25/09/2021 08:22

If she can't bend down how the fuck is she looking after 2 massive dogs? Be kind my arse.
This happened to my neighbour. She eventually bagged a weeks worth of dog shit up and posted it through the woman's letterbox along with 100 poo bags. We never saw her again

happengown · 25/09/2021 08:24

I appreciate she's old and her dogs maybe very special to her but it's still her responsibility to pick it up or at the very least not to let them do it outside peoples houses. That's so grim. I would do many things to help out an old lady but wouldn't be offering to pick up dog shit for anyone. No need to be confrontational but it's good idea mentioning it to the community police people.

KarmaStar · 25/09/2021 08:25

I think everyone is piling in in but would you really turn on a very disabled old lady whose dogs may be her only reason for going out and seeing people?I'd just agree to pick it up,doesn't take long.community spirit and all that but 99% of you will not agree.agree on the th site to work something out rather than remove her beloved friends.

burritofan · 25/09/2021 08:25

She 86 for fucks sake her dogs must be her world.
Then she can treat them like her world and pick up their fucking shit, can’t she? Honestly. Being elderly isn’t a “get out of being civilised free” card. You want dogs, you participate in the societal agreement that you don’t leave their shit everywhere. It’s not difficult.

What if the OP couldn’t bend? What if there are people on OP’s street with mobility difficulties who also can’t pick it up but also didn’t put it there, or poor sight so they can’t see it, or prams they can’t manoeuvre round it? Why does the DOG OWNER get off free in your world viewpoint and everyone else is assumed to be able to work around her disgraceful behaviour?

hangrylady · 25/09/2021 08:25

She might be 86, but you can bet your life that if she was 26 she still wouldn't pick up the poo. Young arseholes just turn into old arseholes. That said I'm not sure I'd report her because it seems a bit too much. I think you should buy a long handled scoop (not that you should have to) and tell her to either use it or you will report her as it's illegal to not pick up after your dog and you take exception to her leaving it outside her house. If it carried on I'd probably bag it myself, follow her and leave on her doorstep.

TeloMere · 25/09/2021 08:27

I'd pick it up, perhaps I'm the unreasonable one but would hate to think of 86 year old woman having to lose her dogs because she couldn't bend down.

amter · 25/09/2021 08:28

YABVU to shame her on a public platform like facebook. That is awful behaviour.

I agree with @Skyla2005 , however I think the best course of action is to help solve the issue. If she can manage an extended stick to pick it up great, if not then perhaps the community can support her (you pick it up outside your house etc).

icedcoffees · 25/09/2021 08:28

Her age is irrelevant.

If she can't care for her dogs properly she shouldn't have them.

SoloISland · 25/09/2021 08:31

@whateveryousay

Or just buy some poo bags, and be kind, and go and help her out on the occasion they poo outside your house? I imagine that the dogs are very important to her, and reporting an 86 year old woman to the dog warden, with the stress this could cause her, sounds awful!! No, it’s not your job, but would take seconds out of your day??
Thank you. this needed saying. 86 is a great age and some forbearance would be civilised .

I am nearly eighty and things that were easy are now hard or impossible.

Cut her some slack, please.

Now my neighbour has cattle that sometimes get loose on my drive...

rookiemere · 25/09/2021 08:31

I like the idea of bagging it and putting on her doorstep- or maybe windowsill to be kind as she can't reach down.

She took the choice at some point presumably in her late 70s at the earliest to own two large dogs and not train them to poo somewhere she could pick up the poo, then it shouldn't be your problem.

burritofan · 25/09/2021 08:31

a very disabled old lady
Where on earth have you got “very disabled” from? She could equally be perfectly sprightly – she walks two enormous dogs FFS. You’re reaching far further than the old woman is willing to.

SoloISland · 25/09/2021 08:32

Some terrible posts here. Sad. Not reading any more. Shocking

OriginalLilibet · 25/09/2021 08:34

An frail elderly lady should not have 2 wolfhounds. Completely irresponsible of her and bordering on cruel for the dogs. She will be incapable of the highly physical jobs which entail caring for such dogs. Of course there are any number of circumstances which may explain how she found herself in this position and I’m sure posters following me will invent all sorts of tenuous mitigating circumstances but a relative or friend needs to do her and the dogs a favour and facilitate an exchange for a more suitable companion for her.

Kanaloa · 25/09/2021 08:34

@whateveryousay

Or just buy some poo bags, and be kind, and go and help her out on the occasion they poo outside your house? I imagine that the dogs are very important to her, and reporting an 86 year old woman to the dog warden, with the stress this could cause her, sounds awful!! No, it’s not your job, but would take seconds out of your day??
I have people saying ‘be kind’ to mean ‘be a total pushover.’ Why shouldn’t this woman ‘be kind’ by not leaving her dog’s shit outside someone else’s home for them to clean up?

I don’t have a dog because I don’t like picking up dog shit. I don’t care if it takes only seconds out of my day, it’s not my responsibility. If you’re well enough to own and walk two large dogs, you need to work something out with regards to cleaning their mess.

Kanaloa · 25/09/2021 08:37

And if her dogs are her ‘beloved friends’ then perhaps she could make sure they toilet in her garden before they are walked outdoors in public. Or hire and pay a dog walker to ensure the mess is cleared up.

It can actually be dangerous, not just disgusting.

notanothertakeaway · 25/09/2021 08:37

I think YABU to identify her on Facebook, but it's her responsibility to pick up dog poo

OriginalLilibet · 25/09/2021 08:37

…. and any posters claiming that a frail 86 year old can look after (or even safely walk) 2 wolfhounds have clearly never owned wolfhounds.

Mommabear20 · 25/09/2021 08:38

If she can't bend to pick up poop then she can't bend to feed them or fill their water bowl, I'd say reporting her was in the dogs best interest!

BakedTattie · 25/09/2021 08:39

Why should the op pick up a random dogs shit?

If the lady can’t care properly for her dogs, and that includes cleaning up after them, they she either shouldn’t have dogs or should ask a family member or friend to accompany her on the walks clean up after them.

mummyh2016 · 25/09/2021 08:39

Do some of the posters on here know the old woman? As I've seen her described as 'disabled' and 'frail', neither description was given by the OP. I'm curious as being 86 doesn't mean either of those things. I have neighbours in their 80s and my Nan is 92, all of them could bend down to pick up dog poo. If she can't she either needs someone to accompany her on dog walks who can bend, or pay for a dog Walker. It's disgusting to leave shit all over the pavement,

icedcoffees · 25/09/2021 08:41

I am nearly eighty and things that were easy are now hard or impossible.

And that's understandable but that doesn't give her the right to walk two massive dogs down the road and just leave their shit everywhere.

The law around dog poo applies to ALL owners, not just the ones who are under a certain age.

If she can't walk them and bend down to collect the poo, she could hire a dog walker, or buy a pooper scooper to help her pick it up. I personally am a dog walker for a chronically unwell client who can't manage to walk her dog properly anymore.

Being old isn't a reason to neglect your dogs needs.

There are plenty of options out there.

Strawbsaturno · 25/09/2021 08:44

@amter

YABVU to shame her on a public platform like facebook. That is awful behaviour.

I agree with @Skyla2005 , however I think the best course of action is to help solve the issue. If she can manage an extended stick to pick it up great, if not then perhaps the community can support her (you pick it up outside your house etc).

No, Why should the OP have to pick up bacteria ridden shits?!? The lady needs to buy herself a long handled poo grabber and clean up after her own dogs. I think the FB thing is fine too given she’s been approached and asked nicely but gave a CF response.