Post poll probes public pulse on poop
According to the latest results in a Washington Post poll, 46 percent of those responding — whatever they may think of Obama and McCain — feel that allowing your dog to poop in someone else’s yard is “the height of incivility.”
The poll accompanies the Post’s continuing coverage of a dog poop controversy in Calvert County, Maryland.
I’m not sure which is more depressing — that this neighborhood spat has become a court case, that the Washington Post is covering it (with two reporters, no less), or that upwards of 10,000 people had voted in the poop poll within hours of the story hitting the Internet.
In any case, to break it down: 46 percent believe “allowing your dog to defecate” in someone else’s yard is the height of incivility, 42 percent consider it a “minor offense,” and 11 percent say it’s “perfectly okay.”
We feel obligated to point out that the poll is faulty — in that it does not get into whether said poop is picked up by the dog’s owner (which would make the minor offense much more minor) or simply left there, which, while maybe not the height of incivility, is pretty darned rude.
The case is headed for trial in Calvert County District Court, where Linda May Johnson stands accused of repeatedly allowing her miniature poodles to miniature poop on her neighbor’s lawn in St. Leonard.
The neighbors, James and Jennifer Barth, said in court documents that they repeatedly asked Johnson to walk the dogs — named Ollie and Hershey — on the other side of the street.
In May, Johnson was arrested, shackled and charged with trespassing, harassment and disorderly conduct after the two families exchanged words.
The Post’s online story today, unlike its earlier piece on the controversy, (“a classic tale of suburban strife”) did not mention that Mr. Barth is a state police sergeant.
Posted by jwoestendiek October 17th, 2008 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animals, barth, calvert county, court, coverage, defecate, dog, dog owners, dogs, hershey, james barth, linda may johnson, neighbors, news, ollie, poodles, poop, responsibility, scoop, sergeant, st. leonard, state police, washington post, waste, yard
Comment from MG
Time October 18, 2008 at 9:19 am
I found a solution to a poop problem.
My dogs wrote a message to my offending neighbors.(Wasn`t sure which one)
“We don`t poop on your lawn,please try not to poop on ours..Thank you”
(Also many people driving by stopped,had a chuckle and said they were going to try that)
I placed that on a sandwich board out front for a week.No more poop,no court case and everyone still friendly.
It`s the pick up which is really the problem.Sometimes when you gotta go,you gotta go.
But a court case!!!
No wonder we have wars.