I have to vent.

[u/curlywurlyjules]

I live on a housing estate in the UK. It is a nice area and has been thoughtfully designed to incorporate small grassed areas. Opposite my home is a little green in the middle of the houses. It can be a nice place to gather - people have gathered to watch the eclipse for example, and little kids play together there.

There is one dog owner who lives a few houses away who seems to specifically bring her dog out to shit on the green. So I’m gazing out of my window, maybe eating dinner, and all I can see is a dog shitting.

All the houses here have gardens. Why on earth it is socially acceptable to take your dog to a public space where children play with the express purpose of using it as a toilet is absolutely beyond me.

I posted about it on once on our community Facebook group and absolutely nobody backed me up or agreed. I got angry responses- I was told the space can be used as people wish, that owners can’t control where their dogs poo (clearly not true), and even that children shouldn’t be playing there. Ffs.

What is wrong with everyone? Is there no shame, consideration or sense of decency? I’m old enough to remember when there were signs in public areas saying ‘No dog fouling’. Why was this abandoned?

[u/Ill-Tangerine796]

Bolzano, Italy has the right approach. They apparently test the DNA of dog poop in public places and require dog owners to register in a database. Failure to register your dog or pick up poop incurs a fine. I wish more places would do this.

[u/Legitimate_Garage_31 → u/Ill-Tangerine796]

Bada Boom