They say a picture is worth 1,000 words but I bet I can boost the word count if I add in my opinions.
But first look at the picture. You should see a bicycle (mine), interpretive signage, and a small black plastic bag (what we are going to discuss today.)
As you know I love dogs. I’ve never met a dog I didn’t like. So, I’m always happy to see dogs out walking their people. Everyone is happy. The air is fresh. Wildflowers are blooming along the path.
But then (insert theme from Jaws) into view comes the Small Plastic Bag. Sometimes it’s discreetly tucked against a rock or a bush. Sometimes it’s just there like a miniature roadside attraction. But there it is.
Bowzer’s Owner thought to bring a plastic bag. (Huzzah!) Bowzer’s Owner was good enough to clean up after Bowzer. (Huzzah!) So why did Bowzer’s Owner trip at the finish line and leave the bag behind? (Hiss-ah!)
Did BO think the job was finished? Or that the Trash Can Fairy would suddenly appear?
Because BO’s are stealthy, I usually don’t see a BO drop a bag. But one morning I suddenly came upon a woman who was making a drop.
We were both startled. Before she could whirl away, I asked her if she was going to leave the bag there. She could have flipped me off, but she must have been of nobility because instead she dismissed me with a royal flick of her hand.
That was the first time I picked up after another dog owner.
Now I do it on a regular basis. They pick up after their dogs and I pick up after them. And no, I’m not the dog droppings Joan of Bark. Nor am I trying to get into some weird category of the Guinness Book of World Records. It’s circumstantial. I’m out bicycling or walking anyway so it’s not like I’m making a special trip. More than anything I’m trying to stop bag spread because as sure as one bag is dropped more bags show up at the drop site.
Every so often someone will notice what I’m doing and give me a thumb’s up. Sometimes a woofie’s owner will have a bag to show me in a gesture of solidarity. Sometimes, if I’m walking my dog, they see the multiple bags and think Boomer has done something truly extraordinary.
You may have noticed that there’s been no mention of unbagged dog droppings. I did that on purpose because that’s a whole ‘nother discussion for another time.
But in closing let me share with you one of my favorite signs about dog droppings. The signage is about where to leave them, which is good information. But I think the name they came up with is hysterical. The sign says: Please use bin to dispose of dog nuisances.
Dog nuisances.
If only I’d known I could have told the Princess, “Excuse me M’Lady but you dropped your dog nuisance.”
The Upstory 