Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Pet owners, pick up after your pooch

By Darrell Ehrlick, editor, on behalf of the Winona Daily News editorial board

In Galesville, Wis., it appears that a baggie is not all that folks have left behind at any area used for the county fair.

In addition to baggies, some residents have left their common courtesy at home and their doggie droppings behind.

It’s getting so bad the organization that owns the fairgrounds is contemplating closing the area to visitors with pets. A few bad dog owners have spoiled what should literally be a pleasant walk in the park for most.

It’s sad when pet owners don’t clean up after their animals. It gives pet owners a bad name.

The Ag Society, the group that owns the land, needs help. Not only do they need for dog owners to step up and act more responsibly, they need the help of those who do use the area properly. It’s time that dog owners who are responsible say something to those they see abusing the privilege. As the Ag Society has said, it’s a hard rule to enforce unless you catch some dog in the act.

Sometimes policing is a community effort. It shouldn’t have to take video cameras or, as a Daily News story reported, DNA samples to figure out which owners are the culprits. Chances are the owners of the dogs know what they’re doing and just loathe the task that no dog owner enjoys.

But having a dog means taking care of it — a basic lesson most of us learned with our first pet.

It’s quite literally crappy when newspapers have to write about dog owners who are unwilling to clean up after themselves.

It should go without saying.

This isn’t just a problem in Galesville, though. It’s a problem in other places, oftentimes on the sidewalks of any city.

Your pet’s mess should not be everyone’s problem.

The Winona Daily News editorial board also includes publisher Rusty Cunningham and online editor Jerome Christenson. To comment, call 453-3507 or send e-mail to letters@winonadailynews.com.