Poop happens

Why is the subject of poop so important in Sonoma? We take great pride in our lovely town, and we argue constantly about whether to allow dogs on certain paths or not. People aren’t shy about stepping in it – the argument, that is.

Some of us love dogs and want to enjoy frolicking with our pooches. Some don’t have dogs or want a clean space. Some dislike doo-doo and hyper-focus on it, perhaps. Why can’t we walk in each other’s shoes, step around any obstacles dropped in our path, and find some wonderful solutions?

What’s the scoop? Poop happens. Dogs do it, birds do it, we all do it.  In Europe dogs go
everywhere. Life’s imperfect, even cars have accidents.

The aversion to dog poop is understandable; I don’t really like to see it on the sidewalk either. But don’t blame the dog if only cement is available when nature calls. It’s crappy when humans don’t watch after their own pets.

I hate it in my yard, too. Not-nice words are muffled under my breath when I see “owners” who walk their dogs and don’t seem to care where they hunker down. Just like the folks who leave beer cans, toothpicks and chicken bones all over the park, for my dog to eat and then need surgery as a result. The whole thing stinks.

But animals shouldn’t suffer because humans can’t get a grip.

My girlfriend just got back from Germany. She said dogs are all over
the place there, often off leash. It was a very happy experience. She asked, “ What’s up
with people here getting so uptight about letting the dogs out?” I scratched my head. Are we too picky?
Too anal? Freud did
talk about the anal stage of life — are we stuck in it? Let’s let the
dogs out, if only for mental health.

Some towns in Europe are cracking down on poop pollution. A town in Spain has hired a private detective to roam its streets to crack down on dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets; in
Colmenar Viejo, a historical town just north of Madrid, humans take pictures
to bust the offenders.  As one official put it, “What we want to do is dissuade people, so
that dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets start to think
they are being watched.”

In the middle of summer anyone humane doesn’t want to leave their
dogs at home while they go for a walk. Or, maybe irresponsible humans
should just take a hike?

One day at the local Bernie Smith Park, I saw a dog in an unmistakable movement. I asked the woman next to me, sneering, “Didn’t the
guardian see that?” She cheerily got up, went over and picked it up,
saying,” Here we help each other. Sometimes people miss it.”

What
generosity of spirit! Don’t think of it as poop but as the product of all the love we have
for our best friends – it’s a part of life. Let’s move forwards and
start a campaign to tenderly bag it, respectfully place it in the
trash or recycle it, or something.

Look at in this way — the poop is not
really the dog’s poop but the owner’s poop, and people should not leave
their poop on the sidewalk. You’d never think of taking relief on your neighbor’s sidewalk, right? It’s not that hard to figure out. If your
dog pulls on the leash, stop, look and scoop.

Let the little guys in our society have a rightful place.
Whether it’s our loving animals, wages or rentals, can’t we be kind and inclusive? Can we share community with these loving creatures?  Let’s lighten the load for each other.
One bag at a time.

Katy Byrne is a Sonoma psychotherapist and writer.