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??

My granny is frail but can still walk her large dog as it is well trained and doesn’t pull. Admittedly she does pick up its shit. I am not saying that the lady is right to not pick up the shit but rather than getting worked up and angry about it I would just pick it up myself. Sometimes a cheery wave and greeting “morning Doris!, shall I pick up that poo for you” goes a long way and she may start picking it up herself.
I find the more I respond with kindness the more I receive.

Comes from an era when you didn’t need to pick up your dogs poo, so i guess she feels she can continue to carry on as she would have done 40 years ago. It’s a massive issue currently - people, young and old, who have bought lockdown puppies, but don’t know (or don’t want to know) how to care for them.

@Chesneyhawkes1

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 😊

Or maybe you will be responsible and think, "I'm getting on a bit and can't take on responsibility for dogs that might outlive me." That's what I told my DH when our 19 year old much loved dog died. He wanted another dog I was 65 and didn't think I'd cope at 84 with an elderly dog if it lived as long as the previous one. Dog lovers need to be responsible.

How does she bend down to put their food and water bowls on the floor, unless they eat at the kitchen table 🤔

I'm disabled and there is no excuse for leaving dog crap outside someone's door. You can buy long handled poop scoopers, which would eliminate the need for bending down. No excuse for irresponsible dog ownership. She's just using her age as an excuse for her laziness.

@DarlingFell

How does she bend down to put their food and water bowls on the floor, unless they eat at the kitchen table 🤔

As they are Irish wolfhounds, they may well do just that. :o

Id buy a scooper, scoop it, put it on her lawn. If she can't look after dogs, she shouldn't have them, her age or mobility has nothing to do with it

I know my local authority offers exemptions based on certain disabilities for dog fouling rules, but they say they will clean up if it's reported. Have a look at your council's website, OP.

@ancientgran maybe she did have someone to help her.

Maybe she was a cougar with a young fit partner who's now buggared off with the OW, leaving her lonely and bereft with his two giant dogs 🤷🏼‍♀️😂 the bastard

If she can handle those dogs on a lead she can bend down.

@SoupDragon

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.

THIS

I used to have a Great Danes and hated picking up their huge shites when out on a walk. I mean, it's a two handed job (whilst holding the lead) and a carrier bag sized poop bag needed which aren't really a common thing. So, before every walk they did their business in my back yard where I could put the poops directly down the sewage drain using a shovel.

If the old lady can't pick up craps then she needs to train the dogs to mess at home and walk them just for exercise.

Irish wolfhounds and other similar size breeds have a 6-10 year lifespan (though some go a few years older). This means the lady got these dogs when she was already elderly.

I really don't think she's bothered picking up dog shit at any point, young or old. Old people can be disrespectful arseholes just as easily as younger people. Being old doesn't give anyone a free pass to be a dick.

Personally I'd report her to the dog warden/council. Getting a paid dog walker will work out much cheaper than a £1000 dog fouling fine every time she's reported.

Also, I doubt wolfhounds can comfortably eat off the floor, my deerhound would struggle so we have a step/bench thing that he eats off.

She’s 86 years old, with two massive dogs, she should be a responsible dog owner and pick their shit up, how is she feeding these dogs then, she’s got to bend down to do it or are they jumping on a table, leaving dog shit is disgusting, it’s not just about her! What about mother’s with buggies etc walking on the paths, toddlers walking through it, so because she’s not picking it up other people including disabled she be walking round it! I don’t think so,

Definitely agree with the above.

I am a vet, we have some significantly disabled clients with pets who ensure they are looked after properly - dog walkers/carers/friends/relatives. There really is no excuse for having animals you can’t look after properly or leaving poo in public places.

Dog faeces pose a significant public health threat. >7 children in the U.K. go blind every year due to toxocara infection and there is growing evidence that there are many more undiagnosed cases leading to learning difficulties. The larvae are most infectious 2-3 weeks later when the fresh and avoidable poo has gone into the soil or worked it’s way down into the crevices of a shoe. Not to mention the unpleasantness and more obvious hygiene risks of having poo everywhere. Presumably the dogs don’t only poo outside OPs house so just picking it up herself is not an acceptable solution.

Wolfhounds don't need to jump onto a table to eat from it.

In fact I can't picture a table large enough for 2 wolfhounds to jump on.

@brewstew

Leave a £50 note on the floor when you know she's passing and see what happens.

Sage advice!!!

I’d love a video of this! What a terrific candid camera thing!

To anyone feeling it’s cruel to not want to pick up the dog crap of an elderly passerby… let us all know when it happens to you personally…. Regale us with tales of how you bounded up enthusiastically to the steaming piles of dog excrement bag in hand! Scooping it up with wild gusto! Did you yell “thank you” as the woman kept walking, no care in the world of how it could be detrimental to anyone else. I can’t wait!

I’m younger but I have had hand surgery. Picking up poop would be arduous due to my own situation of which has nothing to do with my age. But I guess other people’s very real health issues don’t mean a thing as long as you can virtue signal without any critical thought about the bigger picture.

There are so many long handled scoops on the market: www.amazon.co.uk/HandiScoop-Easy-Reach-Poop-Scoop/dp/B004O23E8K/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?dchild=1&rnid=419157031&crid=38S1YLTWV0CMI&keywords=poop+scoop&rps=1&sprefix=poop+scoop&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1632560934&refinements=p_76%3A419158031&sr=8-13

Picking up poo is just a basic part of owning a dog and people who don’t do it make me so unhappy. I get she is old but then perhaps she should be hiring a dog walker.

FFS, the comments here are ridiculous. You don’t have to pick up your dog shit because you’re old? You’re able to walk two giant breeds, but God forbid you should clean up after them.

Where’s the line? I’m pregnant, do I need to pick up my dog’s shit? What about if someone’s in a hurry?

I’d report her to the dog warden. It’s bloody antisocial to leave dog shit everywhere

@FrankieDobie omg @brewstew fantastic advice!!! I would definitely do this with a tenner and video it!!!!! Please please say you will!!!!

@Mantlemoose

For a bunch of do gooding save the planet people you're a lot of hard nosed moos! Give the old woman a break. Having an 81 year old mother who after the last 1.5 years is now anorexic and terrified to leave the house and an elderly next door neighbour whose gone loopy due to lockdown I'd pick up their shit if it meant them having a semblance of life! She will (as all talk dog owner should have),have raised bowls and it doesn't matter what size your dog is if it's trained properly anyone can walk them.

Thank you f or decency and humanity

I haven't read every single post but I have noticed a lot of people saying "how does she feed them?"

Well, properly I would hope. Large breed dogs like Danes and Wolfhounds should eat at chest height ideally. Most of us have elevated bowl stands for food and water.

I wouldn’t give W crap how old she is. I’d be reporting her. If she’s got the dogs she should be able to look after them properly and yes that includes picking up after them.
Honestly, some people on here think it’s ok ok that this person lets their dog shite outside OPs house?! They’d be quite happy with dog shite outside their house on a daily basis?! I’m guessing not.

@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??

Fuck that. I find dog poo nauseating . Why the hell should anyone pick up someone else’s dog shit. What exactly are you proposing: that she stands by on the ready, poo bags in hand, in case dear old lady let’s her dog shit at her house at any time. Then expect her to put shit bag in her bin ( no way am I putting dog shit bags in my bin to encourage flies nad smell with fortnightly collections), and then she has to go and wash her hands Yeh, right.

I actually can't believe the comments on here defending the dog owner. If she's not capable of picking up after the dogs then she either shouldn't have them or she should get a dog walker. To those defending her, how would you feel if your DC stepped in that dog mess on the way to school?