I was at Walmart this week with my daughter, and she noticed the signs before I did… she’s 11 and generally follows rules. She said, “Mommy! You’re going in the wrong direction!” when she noticed the signs on the floor. I replied loudly enough for anyone to hear, “Oh for God’s sake if the Walmart Police are going to arrest me for walking the wrong way in their store, come get me!”
I. Have. Had. Enough.
Most responsible dog owners understand cleaning up after a dog poops is a must. No ands, ifs, or buts. That’s not a critical issue. But this makes for interesting discussion. Published in papers all across the country about a week ago:
DEAR ABBY: When I take my dog for a walk, I always carry little doggy bags and pick up his business. I live in a residential neighborhood with alleys behind the houses. After my dog does his business, I pick it up and often throw the tied-up bag in a trash can along the alley.
Is this rude? Is it illegal to put things in other people’s trash cans? My dog may make several stops along our long walks, and I don’t want to carry his waste with me the whole trip.
CONSIDERATE IN COLORADO
I’ll get back to how Abby (Phillips) responded in just a bit.
Found this in another newspaper, the Coloradoan in late 2018:
Mike Gutman was out walking his dog, Wyatt, when it happened: The dog pooped.
Gutman was a mile away from the park and two miles away from his house, so he plopped the waste in a bag and threw it in the nearest trash can.
That was his mistake.
He and his Siberian husky-American Staffordshire terrier-mountain dog mix made it maybe half a block before he heard a man yelling at him. A very angry man.
“Did you seriously just put your poop bag in my garbage can?” the man said.
“Yeah, it’s garbage,” said Gutman, a self-proclaimed serial poop-bag-depositor. “That’s where garbage goes.”
“He was like, ‘That’s your garbage, not my garbage. This is my garbage can. You take your garbage and go throw it in your garbage can,’” Gutman recalled, a month after the encounter.
He and Wyatt high-tailed it out of there because the man seemed “pretty aggressive.”
He posted a poll about it on Nextdoor.
Nearly 600 people cast their votes in his poll, titled, “Are you OK with people putting dog poop bags in your garbage can?”
The poll was split 80/20, with most people saying they didn’t mind.
In this next example, there was a decidedly opposite view. The source was New York, a habitat with a well-known reputation for being belligerent.
A bit much, wouldn’t you say?
The Dear Abby reader asked if what he/she did is illegal. Could be, depending on where you live. Consider that you probably pay to have your garbage hauled away. Now someone has dumped junk in your trash and doesn’t pay for it go away. You do. That’s called theft.
Somewhat complicating matters is the can itself. Odds are you don’t own it. The container is the property of the municipality or the company contracted to do the job. There goes the whole “Don’t dump that poop in my garbage can” argument.
Not yours, hey. Can someone then walk across your lawn to get to a bin to toss the poop? Well, that would be trespassing. But if the bin is in an alley, or at the end of a driveway curbside awaiting pickup, it’s essentially fair game.
Here in Franklin our alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm informs that our containers are owned by the city’s contractor, Johns Disposal Service, and they stay with the home. If we move the containers remain. maintenance and cleanliness are the responsibilities of the homeowners. Replacement due to damage is decided on a case by case basis that generally favors the resident (s). Wilhelm suggests taping a notice on the cans saying if you approve or disapprove.
OK, let’s return to Dear Abby. What’s her take? What was her reply to the dump and run culprit?
DEAR CONSIDERATE: Whether it’s illegal in your community is something you should check locally because there may be an ordinance that forbids it. While I can’t speak for everyone, some of the homeowners those trash cans belong to would strenuously object to someone throwing dog doo-doo into them. That’s why my advice is, “When in doubt — DON’T.”
That was this past week. But in 2009, when asked a similar question, Abby wrote back:
As long as the bag was securely sealed, I don’t think adding it to someone’s trash bin was a social no-no.
Another advice columnist is Dear Prudence.
“In the interest of my guiding principle of never getting yelled at, I generally hold out until I find a public waste bin.”
(For the record, this hasn’t happened to us and we’re not aware of this occurring in our neighborhood).
Finally, my view on the topic: The proper etiquette should be to seek a public garbage can or bring it home to your house.
Is it rude to dump in someone else’s can? You bet it is.
Restaurants all across America are struggling mightily with many unlikely to survive. But they’re not giving up.
Takeout.
Delivery.
Curbside pickup.
Discounts.
Place an order and you may receive an extra, like groceries, even toilet paper.
And how about this?
Some restaurants are selling off rare bottles of fine from their collections.
“Easter Break” is over. We’re back at it. Virtual learning. We’re all stuck with it, like it or not. Home schooling parents, I always both admired you AND thought you were crazy. I still have those feelings, just intensified greatly.
There isn’t a teacher around who isn’t trying to be creative in their e-classes. And it’s not just standard classroom teachers either. Dance teachers, music teachers, fitness instructors, you name it they’re trying it. Kyla has been doing virtual Irish dance classes for a few weeks now. Clearly it’s not the same for many reasons but I applaud her teachers for doing their very best to keep everyone enthused.
Let’s switch topics for just a moment… Everyone has bits of advice to get through this crazy time. I’m sure you could rattle them off just the same as I can so I’ll save space. Of course there’s the whole adopt or foster a dog idea, one which I blogged about a couple of weeks ago.
So you’ve either adopted or fostered recently OR you’re a long-time pet parent. Either way your fur baby is likely feeling the effects of this never-ending quarantine just the same as you are. Maybe they can’t go to the freezer and grab a pint of Haagen-Daz or start cocktail BEFORE 5:00, but they need an outlet too.
This is the time to explore obedience classes for the first time OR to somehow continue them in an effort to keep a routine for your pet. Great idea! But, how? Well, you might be lucky enough to belong to a school that is now offering virtual obedience classes. In the same way and for the same reasons so many other schools are offering them, owners & teachers are looking to keep your pup entertained and listening to you… perhaps even better than before!
With any luck, your current dog trainer is offering online courses for your canine. If not, do a little research. I’m sure you’ll find one with relative ease, similar to Anything is Pawzible in Chicago.
Good luck, everyone. There’s GOT to be a light at the end of this tunnel, right?
An online survey shows 54% of respondents are now watching 2-4 hours of TV daily. I have begun suggesting viewing quality made for TV movies to pass the time. Here’s another and I wouldn’t recommend if it wasn’t worth your time.
OK. Follow along.
What do you do when your wife murders her lover’s wife and leaves you holding the gun. From 1973.
Stella Stevens stars (this is where Kevin says “yummy”).
But John McIntire steals the show as an old veteran attorney.
Not really.
Here are more details from the Associated Press.
Good idea?
This writer claims they’re boring as hell.
Perhaps you’re one who monitors the news for the very latest on virus updates. Perhaps you’re like me who prefers occasional news snippets of positive information only and have otherwise had it up to their eyeballs with COVID-19. Somewhere in between is an option as well.
Do you have enough TP? Hand sanitizer? Soap? Bleach? Most importantly, beverage of your choice? Nearly one month into quarantine and quite frankly I’m not (yet) ready to sever family ties. The Fischers are managing quite well actually. It might have something to do with the fact that I’ve not yet run out of grape juice nor has my beloved run out of juniper-infused spirits.
So you think you’re stocked appropriately, eh? Um, are you a dog owner? If so, do you feel you are truly prepared and have enough of everything? Of COURSE, you assure me… Kibble? Check. Squeaky toys? Check. Snuggle babies? Check. Plush bed & blanket? Check. Treats? Um, hello… CHECK.
OK… so what about your Fido First Aid Kit?
A-ha! Got some of you! You might not have thought of that one. Emergency preparedness is important for all our family members, don’t you agree? Well long before this hot mess of a pandemic that will (I promise!) end at some point, there were folks who thought we should dedicate a month to our four-legged friends’ safety.
That’s why April has been designated as National Pet First Aid Awareness Month.We know how much you love your pup. You wouldn’t run out of bandages, pain relievers and a thermometer in YOUR medicine cabinet right? Well, don’t short-change your best friend either. Now that you’re all set to be prepared you might want to double-check the information we provided. No need to ask Siri, we’ll provide another resource.
Well dog lovers, I hope this didn’t send you into a tailspin. Be safe, be healthy, be happy.
Recently I started suggesting viewing quality made for TV movies to pass the time. I’ve been watching and have almost screamed out loud at some of the thrillers. They’re that good. Here’s another.
Remember her?
“Gone With The Wind” star Olivia de Havilland who BTW is still alive at 103.
You will love and cheer on her performance in this 1972 movie.
From the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads mostly from person to person through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. At this time, there is no evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread COVID-19 to people or that they might be a source of infection in the United States.
Just had to mention because despite the gazillion of reports on this matter far too many people just don’t get it.
Now, let’s move on to what dogs can get. Allergies.
I hate winter – every single thing about it. I hate cold, snow, ice, having to wear five layers to be comfortable, high electric bills, salt stains on my dark clothes, and when it’s dark by 4:30 in the “afternoon.” There is but one small redeeming characteristic of winter: I have no allergies to deal with.
Kevin and Kyla are fortunate that they don’t have to battle sneezing, itchy & watery eyes, and congestion. With any luck, our future dog will be as lucky as they are. “Wait… what? You’re saying DOGS can have allergies too?” Oh yes they can. And they can be just as annoying for them as they are for their human counterparts.
If you have noticed the family pooch scratching more, or sneezing uncontrollably then chances are he/she is suffering from seasonal allergies. Fortunately there are ways to cope just like there are for humans. Antihistamines are a possible source of relief with the guidance of your veterinarian.
It might seem hard to believe that a warm spring & summer truly are just around the corner. But before you know it, those little tree buds will show and bits of daffodils will peek their heads out of the ground. Quickly following will be the first symptoms of the Sneezin’ Season.
This year if you are itching & scratching, rubbing your eyes, sneezing and dealing with a raspy voice and scratchy throat; please don’t dismiss your dog may be suffering the same ways you are. Get Fido some help so that your entire family can enjoy the great outdoor, if and when them back.
An online survey shows 54% of respondents are now watching 2-4 hours of TV daily.
I have begun suggesting viewing quality made for TV movies to pass the time. Here’s another. Good stuff.
A married couple move to a farm in the country and are confronted by the supernatural. This originally aired Nov.24,1970 on ABC.
Ms. Elaine Kneeous 