Barbara E. Magera, Charleston, SC
I live in a typical suburban neighborhood with manicured lawns and meticulous gardens. My neighbors are proud of their flowers and particularly their yard. When a dog owner deliberately allows their canine to pee and poop on someone’s yard, tension ensues. Dog owners need to know that dog urine can easily morph a lush green lawn into ugly brown or yellow patches of dead grass. Additionally, leaving traces of poop on a neighbor’s yard is a sure way to incite the wrath of any dedicated gardener.
Carry poop bags with you on every walk with your dog. Clean up even if your dog relieves themselves on the street or pavement. I even carry a small spray bottle of soap mixture to spray on areas where loose stool occurred. Encourage new dog owners to clean up after their beloved canine. Offer biodegradable poop bags to dog walkers. Ask your HOA to install “doggie relief” bins with well stocked clean-up bags.
We live in a coastal area where wildlife is abundant. This includes bugs, insects, moles, raccoons, snakes and other destructive critters. Many neighbors elect to use various pesticides and chemicals on their lawns, shrubbery, flowers and trees. Allowing your dog to roam on a neighbor’s yard and then lick their paws is a potential for ingestion of toxic chemicals.
A comical scene occurred when an owner allowed their dog to frolic on a neighbor’s yard. Sprinkler heads arouse from the ground drenching dog and owner. The dog was actually having a great time zooming between oscillating streams of water until the dog attacked and broke a sprinkler head. Needless to say the home owner was not amused with this canine’s antics.
Remember that not every home owner is a dog lover. As responsible dog owners, we need to practice neighborly etiquette when walking our beloved canines.
Nikolaus credited to expert photographer Sandy Klewicki
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