Dog poop is one of those things that raises everyone’s ire. It stinks, it’s a health risk and it’s plain unpleasant.

Pick up poop. A home-made sign in Wellington, New Zealand.

I found this article astonishing. It seems that one or more dog owners in a luxury condo building in Baltimore, USA, not only allow their dogs to poop inside the building, but they don’t clean up afterwards.

Some are suggesting DNA tests to help deal with the issue:

Under the proposal, every dog at Scarlett Place and guest dogs would be swabbed for a DNA sample — owners would then have to pay $50 each to cover the test and supplies. Dog owners would also pay an extra $10 per month per dog to cover the cost of having the building’s staff scoop poop and send it to a lab. Feces, like saliva, contains tell-tale DNA.

If the lab identifies your dog as the pooper, that’s a $500 fine. …

Dog excrement has been found in the elevators, in the long, carpeted hallways, in the common areas.

[Via Doggone DNA - baltimoresun.com.]

That sounded like a great idea, at first, but the article went on to point out some drawbacks to the plan. One suggestion was that a dog owner could be ‘framed’ by someone with a grudge.

I guess I’m most shocked at the idea that some dog owners are so cavalier as to just not pick up after their pet inside the building. We already know people don’t bother outdoors.

Amazing. And time those dog owners became a bit more responsible.

Maxine Jones took on Guide Dog puppy walking for a while. She had some interesting experiences with Zebedee, the golden Labrador puppy:

International Guide Dog Federation.

I DON’T PARTICULARLY LIKE dogs. …

I’d resisted my youngest son’s demands for a dog for years, but this was a way of giving it back when it was no longer an endearing Andrex puppy and my son had proved he wouldn’t walk it or pick up poo. …

Zebedee is always pleased to see me. And when I walk down the road, everyone wants to know me. …

Walking back with the dog after meeting [my son] from school, a lanky boy with braces stops his bike to talk to us. “I miss my dog,” he says.”My parents split up and we couldn’t keep him.” I’m moved to silence as he props up his bike to pet the dog.

Old ladies empathise most with the dog. Young mothers are wary, fearing they’ll be besieged with requests from their offspring. “I’ve enough on my plate,” one says, her brusque tone covering up a flash of longing.

Zebedee and I are spotted by a posse of 11-year-old girls who are walking past the post office, where we are in line. In one squealing mass, they make a run for her, and cover her in a cloud of pink. Zebedee loves it, licking their faces in turn. Just as suddenly, the girls take flight and flutter off, regrouping outside to discuss how sweet she is.

[Via : Dog day afternoons - The Irish Times - Sat, Sep 26, 2009.]

Guide Dog puppy walking is a great activity, available pretty well anywhere guide dogs are trained. If you think you might be interested visit the International Guide Dog Federation website to find a local organisation you can contact.

Special note: 27 October to 2 November 2009 is The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind’s annual Blind Week Appeal. Give them a donation to support not only training guide dog puppies, but all the other services they offer to blind people.

There are those who are concerned that working dogs don’t have enough playtime, enough opportunity to socialise with their own kind:

Some animal advocates are concerned that Mosby and his working colleagues get too few opportunities to socialize with other dogs. NEADS [Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans] asks owners to plan play dates and make regular visits to offleash dog parks, “so the dog has a chance to be a dog,’’ she said.

Mosby, a golden retriever, goes to church on Sunday and visits with the sick and infirm. He’s a ministry dog — a type of assistance dog assigned to clergy and church workers to offer comfort. It’s a job that’s open to a wider variety of breeds than some assistance roles :

There is also a growing demand for therapy dogs of all types. NEADS began providing dogs for military veterans with physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder in 2006, and more dogs are requested by injured vets every year. [O’Brien, the agency’s chief executive officer] also predicts there will soon be a boom in demand for dogs trained to assist autistic children, and to detect blood-sugar imbalances in diabetics.

The pool of trained therapy dogs is limited, with NEADS graduating just 50 or so annually from all its programs.

But one advantage for the ministry dog program is its acceptance of a wider variety of breeds, even tiny shih tzus, while traditional assistance dogs tend to be retrievers or German shepherds, large enough to guide a client through traffic and crowds, said O’Brien.

[Via : As a ministry dog, Littleton’s Mosby brings healing touch to nursing homes and hospitals - The Boston Globe.]

Dogs can bring so much joy and warmth into lives that may be restricted. When Mosby visits a facility caring for those with Alzheimer’s:

… residents halted a bingo game to reach out to touch the dog. Several elders who had been sitting in silence started talking animatedly.

“Isn’t he beautiful?’’ murmured one woman in a wheelchair.

Have you had experience with therapy or ministry dogs? Tell us about it in the Comments.

We know dogs can lift your spirits, and promote good health, but it seems they can alleviate pain too:

Edward’s Animal-Assisted Therapy program recently celebrated its 100,000th patient visit. The program has 84 dogs of 40 breeds.

Their handlers take them to patients in nine units in the hospital — essentially everywhere except the intensive-care unit and labor and delivery — and let patients pet the animals or have them sit on their beds.

Designed to alleviate patient pain, the program has had a demonstrable impact, said Patty Kaplan, who directs the program. An Edward study showed that patients who receive dog visits require half the pain medication of patients who do not, and outside studies corroborate the findings, she said.

[Via : Dogs lift patients' spirits at Edward Hospital -- chicagotribune.com.]

Have you been in a hospital or similar institution and had a visit from a dog? How did that make you feel? Tell us about it in the comments.

In Iowa (USA) a dog parks¹ are becoming increasingly popular, and the city leaders say they’re a low-cost feature that can attract and retain residents:

Dog parks, once a rarity in Iowa, have taken off in the past five or six years. …

The parks are showing up in the state’s largest cities — Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Iowa City, Sioux City and West Des Moines — with the exception of Des Moines. At least 15 cities across Iowa have dog parks, but no group keeps an official record. Owners profess they are good for people and for pooches, and city leaders say they are low-cost features to offer residents.

…There are benefits for dogs — space to play and exercise, as well as opportunities for socialization, which can lead to better behavior — but advocates say the parks also bring people together. …

Jordison said he expects dog parks to follow the trend of skate parks and aquatic centers — once scarce treats that are now staples of cities trying to attract and retain residents.

[Via : Dog parks leap in popularity | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register.]

If there aren’t any dog parks in your area, grab your dog owning buddies and approach the local authorities to ask for one.

¹ …a dog park, defined as a public place with a designated area for dogs to run off a leash. — Definition in the article quoted above.

If you can tell us where to find research that backs up the claims of health and other benefits please leave a comment below. Let’s pool our knowledge to help everyone lobby for better facilities for dogs and their owners.

Dogs bring many benefits to our lives. For some that’s simply the joy that comes from a pet dog, while for others, such as blind people, the dog may offer freedom and independence.

There are some people though, who find a dog an essential aid to their daily lives, even though the dog isn’t officially recognised as such:

Dogs that allay owners’ anxiousness [sic] may soon be classed as working dogs by the Marlborough District Council.

The new classification of companion dogs will mean the dogs can enter public places and will entitle the owner to lower registration fees.

… Under the new classification, companion dogs would have the same benefits as disability-assist dogs, except they would not be allowed to enter restaurants and other premises from which dogs are normally banned for health reasons (as assist dogs can).

…They would also need a letter of support from a disability assistance organisation or doctor.

[Via : 'Companion dog' class proposed | Stuff.co.nz.]

The article mentions that this dispensation has been sought by two deaf people and the third from a person with acute anxiety and concerns for their personal safety.

It seems a little odd that these dogs would still be banned from restaurants and other premises where disability dogs are permitted. Do the deaf people or the acutely anxious person leave their deafness or anxiety at the door (presumably with the dog)?

It looks as though there’s scope here for the legal definition of ‘assistance dog’ to be expanded. See the Dog Control Act 1996 for definitions:

disability assist dog means a dog certified by 1 of the following organisations as being a dog trained to assist (or as being a dog in training to assist) a person with a disability

1. Hearing Dogs for Deaf People New Zealand:
2. Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust:
3. New Zealand Epilepsy Assist Dogs Trust:
4. Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind:
5. Top Dog Companion Trust:
6. an organisation specified in an Order in Council made under section 78D

[Via : Dog Control Act 1996 No 13 (as at 03 September 2007), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation.]

In fact, it sounds as though the above named organisations (and perhaps some others) should all get together under an umbrella group of some kind, since they all have quite a lot in common.

Lobby group anyone?

What do you think?

Having dogs around can increase health and well-being:

…dog behaviour expert and pet care advisor … Ms Statham says that scientific research shows that having pets in the workplace can lower stress levels and create more relaxed, productive workers.

… “Simply put, it’s hard to stay stressed or angry at someone when there is a dog smiling up at you and wagging its tail,” she says.

…”It is a well established fact that pets are beneficial for a person’s overall mental and physical wellbeing. Studies have shown that having pets around decreases the likelihood of depression and can provide protection against anxiety-related illnesses,” she says.

[Via : Scoop: Canine colleagues can create happy humans.]

There aren’t many employers who welcome dogs at work, but in the article quoted above Statham provides some guidelines for good dog behaviour in the workplace.

The Take Your Dog To Work Day website encourages people to adopt dogs from humane societies, animal shelters and breed rescue clubs, and once a year to take the dog to work:

On June 26, 2009, businesses, animal shelters and pet-care professionals from around the world will work together to better the lives of shelter dogs everywhere.  Thousands of businesses will open their doors to employees’ pets on this day in celebration of the great companions dogs make.

[Via : Take Your Dog To Work Day * About TYDTWDay.]

How about it? Can you take your dog to work for a day?

Tell us in the Comments what you think of this.

A recent report tells us that Wellington wants to get tough on dog owners:

Councillors at today’s Strategy and Policy meeting agreed to consult Wellington City residents on a number of changes to the Council’s Dog Policy and Animals Bylaw.

The proposed changes will go out for public consultation on 26 June [2009] and include:

• a requirement for dog owners to carry a dog poo receptacle and dispose of their dog’s poo.

The news media put a figure on what will happen to dog owners who can’t produce a poop bag:

Owners caught walking their pooch in Wellington without a way to dispose of doggy poo will face a $300 fine.

I have several problems with this:

1. Not carrying a poop bag is circumstantial evidence of nothing. I have 2 dogs myself and generally carry 2 bags and a spare. Sometimes I forget the spare. I can easily see an occasion where I’ve used both bags to pick up after my dogs and have dropped the filled bags in a rubbish bin, meaning I’m no longer carrying a bag. That doesn’t mean I’m a wrongdoer who doesn’t pick up after her dogs.
2. There are people who just don’t pick up after their dogs, ever. I believe some of them will carry a bag, but just not bother to use it.
3. There is actually already a law about litter that provides for a maximum fine of $5,000¹. The Council could apply that fine to people caught not picking up their dog’s poop.
4. Wellington actually has a bigger problem of litter and waste.

Every day when I take the dogs for a walk there is litter and waste all along our path, and yes, that includes dog poop. But the dog poop is only a small proportion of all the mess.

Some of the litter is quite dangerous. I wear good walking shoes, but the dogs feet are exposed. We often find ourselves walking over pieces of broken glass (I can’t see and avoid every bit of broken glass along our path).

Rubbish beside the road.

My little dogs are close to the ground. On every walk they snaffle and eat something — usually I don’t even know what. Last week Oshi ate silver foil, and a bit of tissue, and some bread that I knew about.

The litter in Wellington is unsightly at best and unhygienic and dangerous at worst — to both people and dogs.

Clearly we Wellingtonians (and perhaps visitors) at large are careless about our rubbish and how we dispose of it. Rather than arbitrarily fining dog owners for some imagined transgression I’d like to see the Council get tough on those people who are actually creating the problem.

• Identify the people creating litter, and apply the existing laws.
• Create a ‘Beautiful, clean Wellington’ campaign to raise awareness and pride.
• Add signs in buses and public places encouraging people to keep Wellington clean and tidy.
• Increase the availability of rubbish bins in places where people walk dogs, such as the official off-leash areas.
• Provide free poop bags with every dog registration. Send them out with Rates notices. Make it easy to buy the Council’s poop bags online.

There are just a few ideas I came up with in a couple of moments’ thought. I’m sure there are more and better ideas to be found.

Have your say in the Comments below.

¹ Litter Act 1979 No 41 (as at 30 September 2008), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation:

Offences and penalties

15 Deposit of litter in public place or on private land

• (1) Every person commits an offence and is liable, in the case of an individual, to a fine not exceeding $5,000 … who deposits any litter or, having deposited any litter, leaves it
  • (a) in or on a public place; or
  • (b) in or on private land without the consent of its occupier.
• (2) …Where … the litter deposited is of such a nature as is likely to endanger any person or to cause physical injury or disease or infection to any person coming into contact with it (being in particular any bottle whether broken or not, glass, article containing glass, sharp or jagged material, or any substance of a toxic or poisonous nature) that person is liable
  • (a) In the case of an individual, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 month, or to a fine not exceeding $7,500, or to both;