What to do about dog poo woman?

[FrankieDobie]

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??

Arnt you lovely

Yes, I'd do the lovely thing and I'd only smear it at from waist height upwards so that she didn't need to bend over to clean it off her house.

@SoloISland

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

Absolutely disgraceful isn't it ! Some awful bitter people walking around out there with no kindness or compassion for anybody else let alone a 86 year old

@Biker47

Arnt you lovely

Yes, I'd do the lovely thing and I'd only smear it at from waist height upwards so that she didn't need to bend over to clean it off her house.

Hope you are proud of yourself

If she's fit enough to walk two huge dogs she is fit enough to use a scooper.

It is obviously an attitude problem otherwise she would have apologised about not being able to do it rather than trying to make a joke and walking off.

[quote rookiemere]@Farwest honestly you'd be happy to pick up huge dog poos every day - big dogs poo is the same size as human ? Perhaps you could go to OPs on a daily basis and help her out.[/quote]
Happy? No. Would I? Yeah.

She should not have those dogs. But she does. And they may well be a lifeline for her. So... yeah, I would (and have for MIL, but that's another thread).

@Skyla2005

"The dogs might be her only company would you really take that away from her just because she can't bend down ? That's wicked"

No, what's wicked is leaving it so that someone who is in a wheelchair gets it all over the hands, or a child, or a mum pushing a buggy, etc etc.

The dog owner has other options. Dog walking services, or commit a corner of her garden if she has one, long handled poop scoops etc etc...many other people don't.

But the dog owner isn’t showing compassion either, is she? Obviously I wouldn’t do any of the extreme suggestions on here, but it isn’t acceptable to force others to clean up after your dogs, which is what this woman is doing. Whether you’re 26 or 86.

And when it was brought up to her as a problem she just brushed it off, rather than saying ‘oh I’m sorry, I will take appropriate action to remedy this.’

Her age is irrelevant. If you know you cannot complete all tasks associated with looking after an animal, then it is selfish to have that animal. Unless you are going to pay for objects and services to enable you to look after them properly and safely. It isn't a right to own a pet. It is the pets right to be cared for properly.

Absolutely disgraceful isn't it ! Some awful bitter people walking around out there with no kindness or compassion for anybody else let alone a 86 year old

What about some compassion for the wheelchair user that rolls through dog shit? The pram pushed through it? The kids that tread in it? Where is the compassion from the 86 year old dog owner for others around her?

The law says to clear it up and there are tools available to help you to do this.

Don't have a dog if you can't look after it. Yanbu

The dogs might be her only company would you really take that away from her just because she can't bend down ? That's wicked

I'll bet she can bend down to fill up their water and food bowls. She's choosing not to pick their shit up.

When I’m 86 I’m going to start defecating in the street myself and see if some mug picks it up on the basis that I’m a sweet little old lady. Come on guys, she’s a selfish entitled CF who should be called out on it. No way would I pick up someone else’s dog, human or any other shit from the street. How revolting 🤮

i am a dog owner and love having a dog. I am also getting older. My opinion is that if you can't do (or get done for you) every aspect of dog ownership including poop scooping then you shouldn't have a dog...and the same applies for any pet. Age/disability and so on are no excuse.

Just step in front of her, the dog poo etc and start taking photos. This often works with naughty children etc.
You can them show these photos to anyone in your area with responsibility for dog poo.
Clearly she is not strong enough to control these dogs so is a danger to children and others.

I hate dog owners who don’t pick up because they give the responsible dog owner a bad name, but those dogs might be her only company and some replies here are really foul. Chuck it at her? Really?

I don’t know what the solution might be.

Why should her desire to keep big dogs and not be responsible for them trump the rights of wheelchair users not to get their hands covered in shit? (It gets on the rims and is disgusting, plus very hard to avoid on a narrow path in a chair)
Or the rights of a child not to trip over and be blinded from the effects of the shit?
The rights of parents not to get their prams covered in shit?
The rights of anyone else who wants to walk along a path without slipping in/dodging/putting up with the smell of shit?

I'm very sorry if she genuinely struggles to pick it up but it's not ok. I live next door to a wolfhound and they do huge, stinky shits!

The lifespan of an Irish wolfhound is sadly only around 6-8 years. So she would’ve most likely been in her 80s already when she got these dogs. Therefore she should’ve been prepared for the responsibility that that comes with. Old people can be CFers too - it’s not a free pass to acting like a dick.

If she can handle 2 massive dogs she can pick up their crap.
You've asked nicely, she's not doing it.
Personally I'd be out there and warn her that you'll now start recording her as she's approaching and letting them poop outside your property.
Offer her poo bags as she's got no excuse then
It might be enough for her to either carry on walking with them or if they do stop she'll pick it up
If she carries on letting them crap everywhere then you've got your evidence

report her , if shes fit enough to look after two huge dogs then she should be fit enough to pick up their shit , her excuse is rubbish , even if she puts the meat in their bowls on a counter presumable she has to then bend down to put it onto the floor for them to eat it .

if shes really that unfit she cant pick up after them , they should be getting walked well away from any urban paths or areas like in a wood where at least all and sundry dont have to risk accidently treading in it and looking at it .

id also be asking the objectors on facebook if they wanted to come and clean it up from outside my house each time it happened .

@TableSetting

It makes me wonder what she does when they poop at home!

Just what I was thinking

Regardless of age of a dog owner if they don’t pick up their dog’s farces they are a public health menace. If she can walk then she can pick it up with a long hang leg scooper. She’s using this warped notion of respecting your elders that some old folk use to be bastards basically.

If she was fined she’d stop it or employ a dog walker

The op shouldn’t have to undertake one of the grimmest aspects of dog ownership for someone who can’t be bothered to come up with a solution to fulfilling her legal obligation. I see a woman on a mobility scooter out with dogs every day she has a handled scooper. A blind woman too who manages to do it. She’s taking the piss.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

I hate dog owners who don’t pick up because they give the responsible dog owner a bad name, but those dogs might be her only company and some replies here are really foul. Chuck it at her? Really?

I don’t know what the solution might be.

The solution is for the old lady to pick up the dog poo or take a friend/family/dog walker to pick it up instead, not the op!

Quite agree. Dm always said “a nasty young person becomes a nasty old person”. Not saying this woman is nasty, but pretty entitled. There are indeed long-handled pooper scoopers which deal with the bending down problem.

I love big dogs, but I know that even in my 50s they mostly require strength to deal with that I lack. You have to cut your coat according to your cloth.

@Ambersand

You're all horrible. Just pick it up yourself. She's 86 for God's sake. Leave her alone

Being 86 isn't a reason to break the law.

If you're too old/frail/unwell to bend over and clean up after your dogs, then you could:

• buy a pooper scooper with a long handle
• employ a dog walker
• ask friends/family to walk the dog
• give up the dogs to a home that can properly meet their needs.

I'm a professional dog walker and see plenty of elderly people out with their dogs. They all pick up after them. I also have a couple of disabled/unwell clients who can't pick up after their dogs, which is why they pay me to do the walks and to poop-scoop their garden too.

Being 86 isn't a reason to leave dog shit all over the pavements and neglect your responsibilities as a pet owner. Having a pet is a privilege, not a right.

She picks it up or she doesn't get to have dogs. Yanbu

Bloody hell some awful replies here. I would just pick up the poo myself, it would take less than two minutes of my time and why not be be helpful to a frail old lady?
I want to live in a world where people are kind and helpful so I do my bit. People often help me too and I really appreciate it. Sometimes people help me carry my buggy upstairs. I’m a shop the other day I realised I had forgot my purse so the shopkeeper said I could come and pay later. No one is obliged to help me but it’s nice when they do.