Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 29, 1990 TAG: 9006290154
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Ed Shamy
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
No one there seems eager to consider a pooper scooper law.
Dear Mr. Shamy,
The more I read, the more you smell like poop . . . You write about dogs and their poop. I would much rather have poop on my shoe than cat poop on my hands . . .
I.B. Roanoke.
We zealously guard the sacred right of doggie defecation as if it were some bedrock of a free society - the constitutional right each dog has to unload its fetid freight on the sidewalk, on the street and in the park.
Forcing dog owners to pick up after their pooches would severely crimp their God-given right to let the chips fall where they may. In this, a city which takes great pride in its frontier heritage, a better way of dealing with the issue may be Main Street shootouts between man and canines. (OK Benji, DRAW!).
Dear Mr. Shamy,
"I have owned a dog most of my life and have one now. My husband and I are retired, and our dog gives us a great deal of pleasure. One of the joys of retirement is having the time to enjoy walking our dog. I prefer that the `urge' not strike her during this time; however, nature sometimes takes its course, and so we try to control where this takes place. I have thought of carrying a scooper, but this would be awkward. With a leash in one hand and a scooper and a bag in the other, how could one exercise properly and enjoy a walk - sometimes we walk two miles or more. It seems that life's simple pleasures are gradually being taken from us today . . . "
M.W. Roanoke County.
Golly, we wouldn't want your walk to be awkward. Sorry I brought it up. Let Rover release in mid-walkway, and have a pleasant day. I'll take care of it, probably clearing it from the sidewalk with my heel.
Aesthetics are so blatantly on the side of a pooper scooper law, let's look at the more subtle issue of public health.
Dear Ed,
No one has said this better than your article.
I would like to add that most everyone is very health concerned and believe me - you can't keep healthy by stepping in dog poop, carrying it into the house on your shoes or clothes.
M.C., Roanoke.
Michael Leib, who specializes in internal medicine at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, says bacteria, virus and fungus in dog feces are not a serious threat to human health - but can spread a plethora of serious diseases from mutt to mutt.
Anne Zajac, a parasitologist at the veterinary school, says dog waste can spread roundworm or giardia, both parasites that can live within humans. The scientific jury is still out on how transferable these leeches are from dogs to humans. I prefer my body not be used for research right now. Maybe later.
So there. You love your dog and care about its health? Scoop the poop.
You love yourself and care about your health? Just do it.
by CNB