Do You Need a Bag?

The story on the news last week about the dog attacks and people not controlling their dogs in public has made me think about other ways that irresponsible dog owners are affecting the owners who do the right thing.

After out of control dogs, I think people not picking up after their dog is the biggest threat to our right to take our dogs to parks, beaches and other places.

All too often we see dog owners failing to pick up their dog’s pooh. The reason for this might be laziness, a dislike of the job, not having a bag handy, or a number of other excuses.

I think that as dog owners, we have a responsibility to encourage people to do the right thing while ensuring we never become intimidating, abusive or rude.

I would like to see a “Do You Need a Bag” campaign started amongst all dog owners.

This simply means that if you see someone not picking up after their dog, ask them “do you need a bag?”. This is a great way to remind them of their responsibility in a non-confrontational way. It also means if they’re normally a responsible owner but don’t have a bag on them (I’ve run short myself before when my dog has had four poohs on a walk), you can help them out.

If people know that other dog owners will keep them accountable for their actions, they are more likely to do the right thing in the future, and the problem of dog pooh will be reduced.

If the person denies that it was their dog, or refuses to pick it up, I would encourage everyone else to do the right thing and pick it up for them. It’s never a pleasant job, but if dog pooh is left in public places then we all run the risk of not being able to take our dogs to certain areas in the future.

Let’s all spread the word and encourage everyone to do the right thing. #doyouneedabag