Those of us who have dogs love them with a
passion, like family members.
But those of us with dogs who have moved
into a condo community have also become aware of something else: not everyone
feels the same way about our pets as we do.
Condo owners who do not have dogs worry
primarily about the possibility of noise and mess. And who can blame them?
As a result, dog-owners — at least most of
us — have become very sensitive to these concerns. The last thing we want to do
is create reasons for people to complain about our dogs.
So we keep our pooches leashed. We make
sure they don’t bark excessively. (Crating works wonders for those dogs who
worry — and bark — when they’re left alone.) And we’re scrupulous about
cleanliness.
In other words, we don’t let our dogs pee
on the vulnerable grass (even when it’s under snow) that surrounds our
buildings. And we PICK UP after them.
Incredibly, some of us have recently found
dog poop on the sidewalks in front of our buildings. The sidewalks! Where
people walk!
There were three distinct piles this week,
clearly from a dog that was neither very small nor particularly large. (Dog
owners can tell these sorts of things.) And some of us ended up taking care of the
messes ourselves, even though our dogs were not responsible.
If you own a dog, no matter what size,
please — pick up!
When you don’t, it reflects on all of us.
It also makes our beloved pooches that much less welcome in our new condo
community.
