Not clearing dog poo if you're too old/infirm?

[PipsHip]

My neighbour is ancient and quite bent over. She walks her dog on the footpath past my house (not pavement but a path heavily used by children etc) and obviously it poos. She doesn't pick it up but I doubt she can.

Legally she has to (I'm in Scotland and the exemptions are for registered guide and assistance dogs only). But I'm wondering what general public opinion is on whether it's okay? I don't intend to speak to her about it or anything as we have bigger issues round here than this one lady, but I'm curious what other people think.

YABU - the lady and her dog come first. Her being able to walk her dog may be her great joy so let her crack on. It would also be cruel to the dog not to walk it.

YANBU - it's a shame, but her dog's poo could potentially get in a toddler's mouth. She should keep her dog at home or pay someone to walk it (if she can afford to).

She shouldn’t have a dog if she can’t pick up its poo. It’s part of being a responsible dog owner and she’s not being responsible 🤷‍♀️ Why should the OP be responsible for picking up this dog’s poo or buying special devices. She didn’t sign up to dog ownership.

That dog is probably all she has

How does she feed it then? Getting the food ready and putting the bowl on the floor, getting it water, brushing it etc?

But people get dogs when they can bend down. Going from this to not being able to can happen very quickly. So what do you do? Give the dog up to a shelter where there is a good chance it will be put to sleep? I wouldnt.

You get a long handled poop scoop

@AngryBird6122 fair question. You do not have to be able to bend fully down though to drop some food in a bowl or pour water from a jug into a bowl.

Yeah but you don't have to fully bend down to use something to scoop up the poo either!

I'm sure will say I'm an awful person...but if you're too infirm to pick up your dogs poo, you're too infirm to have a dog.

Even practically speaking...even an elderly or small dog will need someone quick to move them out of the way/tug them to safety on the odd occasion. She likely couldn't control her dog if, for example, it took against a child.

I have no issues with the elderly having a dog (in fact I think it's great to get them out and about) but if you're that frail then you have no business owning a dog.

I find the lack of kindness on this thread depressing.

Hundreds of thousands of elderly people are lonely and cut off from society in this country, especially those over the age of 75.

According to Age UK, more than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.

And mumsnet say that this lady shouldn’t be allowed her companion and reason for going outside because of a bit of shit? Just mind were you walking. Personally I find the idea that a million older people can go for a month without social interaction desperately sad, and people just flippantly saying she shouldn’t have a dog quite intolerant.It is well known that dog walking encourages this when out and about as well as easing the sense of isolation when at home.

Er no. It’s not ok to let your dog shit all over the pavement and not clean it up.
I volunteered for the cinnamon Trust. Walked a dog that an elderly person wasn’t well enough to walk. And spent time with her too. Much better than someone struggling and failing to cope with walking a dog.

On the one hand, I find it hard to have sympathy for dog owners who don’t pick up, because I have friends and neighbours who are elderly, disabled or blind, and they all pick up after their dogs.

On the other hand, our area is overrun by fox poo, so I wonder what the odd dog poop would matter.

Not helpful 🤷🏼‍♀️

If you are unfit to look after a dog then you should have it removed.

Nope. Much better she walks the dog, while she can, gets a bit of fresh air & exercise, hears the birds & sees/speaks to people. It's hardly going to be a STBernard so I'm sure instead of bitching about her, the OP could just help her out & pick it up.

plenty of healthy, fit people don't pick up after their dogs, THEY are the ones who need to be TOLD! A little old lady getting pleasure out if walking her dog needs a little help not licking away in her house!

@AngryBird6122 no, but she might not be able to manage to get the poo from a long handled pooper scooper into a bag, let alone while also maintaining control of the dog.

I don't think it's ok to have a dog if you can't clear up it's mess if it poos in the street. If she can't bend down she needs to get a scoop on a handle and if she can't use that she either needs to not take the dog out and hire someone who can or re-home the dog. I don't think being old means you get to just leave shit around for everyone else to have to walk through or deal with.

I don't have a dog so I don't have any dog poo cleaning equipment; I wouldn't be able to just pick up someone's dog poo for them.

Something like this might help: https://pupzle.co/products/pooper-scooper

Or "Don't be a prick. Stick and flick"

There is no way on this beautiful planet am I going to volunteer to grasp a still-warm, freshly curled out dog shit for anyone of any age, rank, star-sign or whatever. Eww. Nasty.

This would be a hill I’d die on. If she can’t pick up after her dog then she needs to find someone else to walk it.

I’m disabled, too. I walk with crutches or have to use a wheelchair or more frequently a mobility scooter. I am absolutely pig sick of playing dodge the dog shit when I go out. I can’t clean it off when I get home, either, so that’s another job for DH when he gets in after a long day. No disabled person wants to drag dog shit through their house, on the wheels of their chair, so everyone, including the elderly, needs to pick it up.

I have a newborn grandson, too, and DS2 & DDIL are fed up with cleaning the pram wheels every time they go to the country park, for a walk, because of lazy dog owners.

No, if you can't pick up your dog's shit, then are you doing other basic care for your dog, such as picking up food bowls etc.

And if you can't pick up poo, or pick up/put down a food bowl, are you also struggling with your own self care too?

Nope. Can’t pick up poo then don’t own a dog.

My dad got bacterial meningitis about 8 years ago. He thankfully survived, albeit significantly impacted by disabilities as a result of his illness.
He had a dog before he got ill, enjoyed him (almost reliant) as part of his recovery, and as soon as he physically could take the dog out for a walk, he did. He was proud that he could finally do it. Part of the walk, and his feeling of independence was his total insistence that he would still bag up Saoul's poo. This was hard to allow him to do as a bystander - especially as I'm perfectly able as his daughter BUT he was insistent that it was his responsibility.
I know a big part was down to him finally 'being able to' do it, but it's also knowing the responsibility of being a pet owner.
Those who don't give a shit about leaving their pet's poo anywhere are a disgrace.
Those who adore their pets but are physically compromised AND are still aware of their responsibilities should try to accommodate for them.
I'd not say anything to this person as it's not so big a deal, BUT I would judge. Big time.

She likely can pick it up and just doesn’t bother - how does she pick it up in the garden , it must poo there as well . It’s not one rule for one and another for the elderly .

@XenoBitch My DH could not pick things off the floor due to disability but can manage his own self care.

You can buy pooper scoopers for people like this. My nana had one