Dogwalking, aka Doody Calls!

Canines in the city; love them or hate them, they are here to stay. If you hate dogs and the people who own them, you should have thought about that before living in a city of 8 million potential pet owners. Move to Westchester, where you can hit the pedal to the metal on your BMW as you zoom past isolated, bougie mansions.

New York has many laws in place to protect the rights of dog owners. But there are also responsibilities to uphold, namely, picking up after your little pooper. If you have a tiny Chihuahua, it may be acceptable to skip the pooper-scooper action every once in a while. (Some people may object, taking the view that a little poop goes a long way). But there is no way that you can allow your Lab or Husky dog to let loose with a steaming pile of doo and simply walk away. This kind of negligence ruins it for everyone. It can also earn you a $250 ticket if an enraged sanitation worker happens to be tooling by in his little white car.

Although no one loves picking up piles of turds, if you take on the responsibility of being a pet owner in an urban area, you have to clean up after your dog. Even if you’re at a park, be it dog or regular. Some people buy special scented bags and bone- or hydrant-shaped holders that clip onto their leash. Others look forward to the delivery of Kohl’s circulars to stock up on their supply of tiny poopy bags. And still others believe that it is a good idea to slide a piece of newspaper under a dog’s ass to catch the poop as it falls. This method has always seemed to me like it would lead to a neurotic dog, but live and let live, I say. The main point is that if you dog shits, you need to pick it up. Wrap it up good, and put it in a public trash can. Because some people can get really shitty about shit.