Pet owner responsibility is courtesy

Bobbie Thompson
The Union-Recorder

April 07, 2008 10:31 pm

— The topics in this column are primarily about pet owner responsibility — what you should do for your pet — spay, neuter, vaccinate. Some people understand and some people either just don’t get it, refuse to do it or maybe they think it doesn’t mean them.
Here’s another way to look at pet owner responsibility — simply stated, it’s plain ol’ common courtesy.
What is courtesy? The trusty internet’s Dictionary.com defines it as polite behavior, a courteous, respectful or considerate act.
It’s not nice to allow your cat to dig in your neighbor’s flower bed. It’s not nice to let your cat climb on and scratch your neighbor’s cars. It might be ‘nature’ to have your cat drop a bird or lizard at your doorstep, but it’s still not nice.
According to the birds.com Web site, outdoor cats are reducing the bird population. It’s not nice to let your cat roam the neighborhood with no identification on it. If no one knows who the cat belongs to, don’t be upset when the cat disappears one day because it was considered a stray and taken to a shelter.
With cats, there’s a very simply solution: Keep your cat indoors. Use a litter box; it’s not a big deal.
Dogs have no business roaming. Out of sight, out of mind is not the correct attitude. And please don’t say your dog never leaves your yard. Unless you’re at home, watching your dog, you don’t know that. I know, he’s always home when you come home — every day at the same time. And some people think it’s pretty funny to have their dog potty next door.
One day your neighbor is going to pile up all that stuff and plunk it in your yard. But he probably won’t because you have a good neighbor; one who doesn’t want to complain or make waves.
We don’t have a dog park where you can let your dog run and play off leash in a confined area with other dogs. Even if we did, there would be rules. We do have a park that has a fenced area and the responsible dog people won’t go there because they’re tired of pooper scooping the area before they play with their dogs. Common courtesy is to pick up after your dog.
Just about any store that sells collars and leashes also sells those cute little things you attach to the leash for picking up dog waste. Some look like fat plastic bones, some look like hydrants. Or you can take a grocery bag from home when you walk. Common courtesy is to clean up after your pet.
It’s not just a courtesy to walk your dog on a leash and pick up after your dog. It’s the sanitary and safe thing to do.
Courtesy is walking your dog on a leash because not everyone likes dogs and some people are afraid of dogs. No one likes a big dog jumping on them. No one likes to have their dog terrorized by a dog off leash. No one wants their dog to bite your dog because you are being selfish instead of courteous.
When you walk your dog, make sure he’s wearing a collar with his rabies and identification tags, he’s on a nice 6 foot leash, (not one that expands so far you can’t see what he’s doing) and don’t forget the bags!
Walking your dog is a great bonding time and you can also help the environment by picking up not just after your dog, but after the discourteous people who throw trash along the roads.