Topic ID 413
I live up on Sele Farm, where we have nice grass verges. I am just getting a little fed up of some people letting there dogs poo on the grass and not clearing it up. I know *most* dog owners clean up after their dogs, but it really annoys me when other owners dont. So i am now off to clean my shoes again of the vile dog poo[:(!]
Reply ID 3186
Tell me about it GillP My wife trod in some on the way to the car from the house.[xx(] No doubt she will leave the cleaning to me as she is pregnant.
Reply ID 3189
quote:are you sure it was dogs ?[:D][:D][:D]
Originally posted by jez_p
Tell me about it GillP My wife trod in some on the way to the car from the house.[xx(] No doubt she will leave the cleaning to me as she is pregnant.
Reply ID 3190
It's unfortunate that there is a section of society that simply doesn't care. A section of society that doesn't care where the dog dumps or what the kids are up to in the town centre of an evening; that will happily park on verges and pavements; that will make life unpleasant for everyone else as long as they can get away with it. And they don't give a toss what you and I think about it.
Reply ID 3194
We live in Kingsmead and spend half our lives dodging the stuff. Some of the dog lovers round there seem totally unwilling to put their mutts to the trouble of moving a few feet into the gutter when the middle of the pavement is far more handy. I sincerely hope to come across one of them in the act soon and ask why, exactly, they think this is OK. And if I don't get any sense out of the dog I might ask its half-wit owner.
Reply ID 3195
Hurrah, a dog-poo thread on Discover Hertford’s forums! I’ve had a bee in my bonnet about this ever since I went to Uni with a lad who was blind in one eye from toxicara (can’t spell it) acquired from dog poo on the beach when he was a kid. Keeping this thread local, I can tell you that over the New Year I watched a middle-aged woman on Hartham Common stand and wait patiently for her dog to dump some four yards or so from a 'please clean up after your dog' sign, then when he was finished, the pair of them walked briskly away! When I had a go at her, she pretended she ‘hadn’t noticed’ her enormous mutt, which was on a short lead, spectacularly voiding its bowels next to where she stood! Where I live near Hertford town centre, irresponsible dog owners tend to wait until after dark to walk their dogs so there is less chance of them being observed when they foul the pavements and verges. Those poor dogs must hate the midsummer evenings when it’s light until late and they have to wait until after 10 PM before their owners will take them for a walk. I have a friend who lives in an English inner city who has started a community backlash against irresponsible dog owners. As well as pursuing peaceful awareness-raising through the community newsletter, she has also taken rather stronger action and has actually followed a persistent offender home and thrown their dog’s poo at their front door! I haven’t the stomach for that – and I’m pretty sure it is illegal – but I understand why she did it. On one level, people getting their knickers in a twist about a bit of dog dirt is funny and pathetic – haven’t we got bigger things to worry about? – but on another, it’s important not to just sit back and watch our shared environment get defiled by a selfish few. This applies to all the anti-social behaviour we see in Hertford – see Ewoowar’s ‘I despair’ thread elsewhere in the community forum. I agree 100% with BobH above. On a positive note, the attitude to dog fouling is definitely moving in the right direction – think how much worse the problem was 10 years ago – so maybe like drink-driving it will become completely unacceptable (apart from among a few inbred countryside dwellers!) and subject to heavy punishment within a few years.
Reply ID 3196
I live on a road where the land is owned communaly. There are not many dog owners on the road but I believe the few there are dispose of their dog's mess considerately. The problem we get is with visitors. A neighbour was away on holiday and had people visit their house during their absence. The visitors had a dog and I noticed a lad taking it onto the shared lawn near our house. 5 minutes later I went to check the area and found a large pile with the steam still rising. So I knocked on the door and the lads father obliged by getting it cleaned up. We had a similar problem with a neighbour who had family stay who had a dog. It is as if they assume it is not their land so it is not their problem. The worst places I have come across in Hertford are the path that leads from St Andrews Street behind the church and to the playground in the Castle ground, and outside Direct Carpets (never walk through the leaves there!). I have always been amazed how clear the sand pit is at Hartham Common playground.
Reply ID 3198
I seem to be unfortunate enough to step in it on a regular basis, as does my 2 year old daughter (as do all 4 wheels of her pushchair), on our walks especially on pathways to friends' houses. I often wonder, do the dog owners who let their dog poop in the middle of a path ever step in it themselves? And how do THEY feel when that happens? Begs the question.
Reply ID 3199
quote:I feel I must clarify that it was the dog who left the large pile and not the lad..........
Originally posted by Ewoowar
A neighbour was away on holiday and had people visit their house during their absence. The visitors had a dog and I noticed a lad taking it onto the shared lawn near our house. 5 minutes later I went to check the area and found a large pile with the steam still rising. So I knocked on the door and the lads father obliged by getting it cleaned up. We had a similar problem with a neighbour who had family stay who had a dog.
Reply ID 3202
quote:I think that 10 years ago the problem wasn't too bad. I had just gone to uni in York and the Dog Poo in the area where I was living was far worse than it was in Ware. (I grew up in Ware and have now moved to my own place in Hertford) Unfortunately the roads leading to the Sele Farm Shops appear to be bucking the trend and it seems to be getting worse again. Either that or just 1 anti-social person walks that way after dark just to let their dog poop in my road
On a positive note, the attitude to dog fouling is definitely moving in the right direction – think how much worse the problem was 10 years ago – so maybe like drink-driving it will become completely unacceptable (apart from among a few inbred countryside dwellers!) and subject to heavy punishment within a few years.
Reply ID 3203
Going back 15/20 years and Ware was terrible. As a child I would often tread in the nasty stuff, left behind by dogs.
Reply ID 3221
I have just been down to town with my wife, and we noticed a woman in a red coat letting her chocolate brown spaniel s**t on the grass verge by the B1000. Once the dog had finished she just carried on as if nothing had happened, making no attempt to clean it up.[:0] If I hadn't been in the car I might have had to have said something. Also upon returning home I noticed a fresh pile of the smelly stuff on the grass verge outside my house. [:(!]
Reply ID 3225
You can get an electronic device that has a passive IR which when triggered sets off an ultrasonic noise that cats and dogs can hear (if you listen you can just hear a slight whine that is a little uncomfortable if too close). It can run on batteries or mains. Buy one, set ip up so it looks out over the pavement and verge outside your house and you should never have to worry about the mess outside your house again. You may even find that people stop walking dogs past the front. [}:)]
Reply ID 3226
This is not a shaggy dog story but mught just as well be. A few years back and the problem is with us again, we had lots of piles of dog poo along the towapth by the Lea. I rang Mike Abbey who is the dog warden at District (BTW a very helpful bloke) who told me he had bought hundreds of dog litter bins out of his own budget but couldn't shift them. You weren't allowed to collect them; they had to be paid for by the Town Council. The Town Council had no money in the budget for this as the bins and posts had to be paid for and erected by District Council. Inland Waterways offered to put up the bins along the towpath but could not be repsonsible for emptying them. They would have to be emptied by District who are not responsible for the towapth and therefore the bins would soon reach overflowing. Somewhat frustrated by this lack of co-operation I gave up trying to reach a solution. Meanwhile anyone walking along Riverside will see what Joe Public lets their dog do - poo!
Reply ID 3227
When I was a lot younger and living with my parents there was a chap who would let his dog foul on the pavement outside our house. One day my mother collected the mess, followed the man home and threw it in his garden. He saw this happen from his window and went berserk. I think the best approach is to confront and embarass the dog owners as the offence happens.
Reply ID 3245
Unfortunately I haven't yet caught the offending pooch in the act. Just had to deal with the aftermath [xx(]
Reply ID 3246
haven't stood in any poo for a while. just thought i'd keep everyone posted.
Reply ID 3248
quote:Thats good to hear, but now you have said that you will probally step in it [:p]
Originally posted by Bengeobabe
haven't stood in any poo for a while. just thought i'd keep everyone posted.
Reply ID 3326
While I agree with everyones point, what annoys me more is the local cats using our garden as a loo. My wife has to wear gloves when gardening and as my childern play in the garden and not on the streets, the health aspects apply more so. It seems sometimes that dog owners are slightly victimised. I do see a fair number of dog owners (not all) clearing up after their animals but I have never had a cat owner offer to clear up the mess from my garden.
Reply ID 3328
as a cat owner, can i point out that when my cat does her business, i don't normally go with her! - she lets herself out of the house when she needs to go. Cats are very clean animals - they always bury their doings after the event.
Reply ID 3329
I have 4 cats who are locked in overnight during hours of darkness (half the day at the moment) and use a litter tray. Find me the dog that does that.
Reply ID 3335
Try telling the cats round here! they dig the holes and then mess next to them, or if they get their aim right the hole is left open. Even if covered it doesn't stop the physical contact when weeding or planting. And as for child safety cats also carry cryptosporidium, toxoplasmosis and toxacariasis, (see links below). http://www.ukparents.co.uk/archives/qa/qa312.shtml http://www.ukparents.co.uk/archives/qa/qa312.shtml You may not go out with your cat but it's still your pet and responsibility. It just seems very strange to me that dog owners are under constant criticism for the fouling of public land but it's ok for cats which after all are domestic animals to foul private gardens. I'm well aware of the obvious differences between cats and dogs but it's still me having to clear up the mess left by other peoples animals. Just for the record I have neither a cat or a dog. I get fed up the same as anyone else if my foot ends up in a doggy pat, but overall cat mess causes me personally more problems in my garden then doggy doo doo does on public footpaths, and before you ask I walk between two and five miles a day on public paths so I feel qualified to comment. Just my six pence worth.
Reply ID 3336
quote:Some cats are better than others at the whole burying business. Both of ours are rubbish at it, as a result I have to clear out our flower beds of their deposits every couple of weeks in the summer to try and get rid of the smell.
Originally posted by Bengeobabe
as a cat owner, can i point out that when my cat does her business, i don't normally go with her! - she lets herself out of the house when she needs to go. Cats are very clean animals - they always bury their doings after the event.
Reply ID 3342
Forbes, I have the same problem with cat's mess that you do. The stuff is left in the middle of the lawn, or on plants, or on the surface of the mud. It's rarely, if ever, buried. I tried all sorts of stuff to try and put them off and was about to try sitting in ambush with a super-squirter to make them think that a soaking was what they'd get if they visited again, when I spotted the electronic device I mention above. I wouldn't say it's 100% effective, as it's only been in place for a few months over winter but I haven't found any new stuff for over a months now and the neighbour remarked on how much less he'd seen the local cats in both back gardens recently. For £30 quid (another £10ish for the mains adaptor), I'd say it's worth a try. You will need to remove all existing stuff (it's often a territory marker), and it might take a few weeks to become effective - we saw the visits tail off rather than stop immediately. I also used to chase any cats out of the garden when I saw them so it may be an accumulative effect.
Reply ID 3345
How about we name and shame people that we know of who let their dogs dump all over the place. I know of a particular family, who oddly enough work in the waste disposal industry, who let their dog crap all over the place, and never clear it up. I swear the feral kids even play in the stuff! Trouble is...complain and you will get a brick through your window! Can I name them?? Go on go on go on!!
Reply ID 3351
quote:For the record, a cat owner is not legally responsible for the behaviour of their cat while it is outside, whereas a dog owner is.
Originally posted by Forbes
You may not go out with your cat but it's still your pet and responsibility.
Reply ID 3355
joby - i'll send my cat around to train yours!
Reply ID 3358
A mouse (or some mice) got into my garage and sh@t everywhere. If I find the owner they've got some questions to answer!
Reply ID 3360
Thank you Forbes, as a dog owner, who cleans up after our dog, your comments are much appreciated. [:)]
Reply ID 3361
Unfortuanately the neighbouring cat(s) seem to like my garden as a toilet. I'm pretty sure that a local moggy is also responsible for flipping 2 of the fish out of my pond and leaving them to die on the ground. I know that there are precautions to take to stop cats fouling the garden but I keep finding cat poo in unusual places like on concrete paths [:(!]
Reply ID 3364
That's as maybe Joby, but cat owners do have a responsibility under the "EPA 1990", loosely quoted from the Cats Protection people in Horsham - Any nuisance which is prejudicial to health caused by an animal (including a cat) is covered under the "Environmental Protection Act 1990". Anyway, law aside I feel that anyone who won't morally take responsibility for their cats should not take the higher ground and preach about irresponsible dog owners, and I am not directing that to any one individual, just an opinion. As neither a cat or dog owner I have no corner to protect but I do like a good friendly debate, I'm merely giving my point of view as to how doggy & moggy poo affect me and my family. It just so happens that moggies cause me more problems then doggies. Shanky, I have seen those devices around in various forms it sounds like it might be worth a go, thanks. Bengeobabe, you may have a money spinner there! Regard to all.
Reply ID 3366
quote:Too right. And as for those bloody birds....
Originally posted by Ewoowar
A mouse (or some mice) got into my garage and sh@t everywhere. If I find the owner they've got some questions to answer!
Reply ID 3367
quote:Too right. And as for those bloody birds....
Originally posted by Ewoowar
A mouse (or some mice) got into my garage and sh@t everywhere. If I find the owner they've got some questions to answer!
Reply ID 3368
One of the big differences here is that dogs are generally not allowed out on their own, they have to be walked and accompanied. Cats on the other hand are independent creatures who come and go as they please.
Reply ID 3369
quote:Ewoowar, maybe try getting another cat.
A mouse (or some mice) got into my garage and sh@t everywhere. If I find the owner they've got some questions to answer!
quote:jez_p, if you have a pre-cast shell type pond, then what works for me is that small green plastic coated wire fencing which comes in a roll and is about 8 - 10 inches tall. Place that around the edge of the shell and it makes it very difficult for a cat to get near or low enough to make a catch. It's not to pretty but better then a net.
I'm pretty sure that a local moggy is also responsible for flipping 2 of the fish out of my pond and leaving them to die on the ground
quote:Wizkid, your welcome, my garden backs onto a public field which is heavily used by dog owners and there is very little dog mess. The bigger problem is from kids emptying the doggy litter bins everywhere (they must be really bored, drunk or both)
Thank you Forbes, as a dog owner, who cleans up after our dog, your comments are much appreciated
Reply ID 3453
i love dog poo
Reply ID 3454
i love dog poo very much
Reply ID 3459
uh oh... another child has entered the forum...
Reply ID 3471
User has been locked and school informed.
Reply ID 3472
All the way from Portugal no less...maybe its a Portugese thing
Reply ID 3499
Forbes: If you have a problem with cat poo, try ripping up some orange or lemon peel (or any citrus fruit) and scattering it in your flower beds --- cats hate the scent and will stay clear for days. I will also talk to my mog and remind him of the need for good behaviour.....
Reply ID 3501
Hi Mike I have tried that and it does work for a while but eventually they seem to become accustom to it. I appreciate the cat chat though.[:D]
Reply ID 3576
Surely there is more to be said on this[?]
Reply ID 3577
One of our cats has is very long haired. He tends to bring his poo in with him, stuck to his bum. Yuk.
Reply ID 3583
quote:And I bet he wears it with pride.
Originally posted by JohnSmith
One of our cats has is very long haired. He tends to bring his poo in with him, stuck to his bum. Yuk.
Reply ID 3586
I noticed earlier that the neighbourhood dog has left a little present right in the middle of the pavement - outside next door, it is not even as if it is in the verge.