Thursday, September 3, 2009

apres holiday poop scoop week

here's an idea: we know that the trails are heavily used by people who are not always good about cleaning up on holiday weekends. the week after labor day, let's all pledge to pick up a few extra piles of opp when we're out, and get our friends to do the same, and their friends and so on...... if we all pitch in we can make a big difference with a little effort. pass the word!

beautiful morning




busy too- about 8 & 8. all rules followed, everyone polite & seemingly glad to be out.
a few folks in the park, but no children.....
happy trails!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of course there are no kids in the park - school started! But there are never kids in the park that early - even in the summer. I suppose you are trying to make a point that dogs should be allowed off-leash in the park at certain times, but I feel that is highly inappropriate, considering the enforcement issues and the fact that there still is a lot of poop in the park WITH the leash laws.

marianne said...

that is exactly the point i am trying to make. i would suggest that dog owners, if allowed timed off leash, might exert peer pressure to maintain the pivilege and you might find that the park is cleaner. as for enforcement- it would be no different than what we have now, just a different set of rules to follow.

thanks for your comments, and for sharing your opinion.

Anonymous said...

I still think it is inappropriate to allow off-leash dogs in an unfenced public park that abuts streets on two sides, the foothills on one side, and contains a playground that is admittedly empty most/all mornings. There are too many dogs that are not trained enough to handle this, mine included, and too many owners who would add to conflicts with passing cars, other users, etc. The poop issue is a real issue and I can't think of any reason why it would get better with off-leash privileges, for the same reason that you mention above in a post - people will not see their dogs doing it all the time. Peer pressure hasn't worked in the foothills, in my opinion. I still see just as much of it now as before, but that's just anecdotal.

Off-leash areas should be fenced and clearly marked, and NOT in a place like Camels Back, which is relatively small and heavily used. I think you are barking up the wrong tree, but I see enough people letting their dogs run free in the park that I'm sure you'll find some support...

marianne said...

i appreciate your comments & input.

i think that the real answer is education. dog owners need to understand that they just pick up after their dogs as a matter of course, and that not everyone wants to meet their dogs. i think we need fenced areas along with trails but i believe we should look at other options.

off leash activity in a public area does not mean running free out of control. owners should not let their dogs approach another person, or another dog, without making sure it's ok. dogs should be in sight and come back to the owner when called. owners should always always pick up.

the people who are currently breaking the rules will undoubtedly continue to do so until they are given reason to change, and peer pressure is one way to try to change things.