Catch a glimpse of any person walking their dog along the streets and sidewalks of St. Pete and you will see one thing they all have in common—or at least you should. Whether it's a fancy plastic bag dispenser clipped to the leash or simply a repurposed grocery bag, everyone should be carrying a baggie to scoop the poop.
We educate our clients about the importance of cleaning up after their dog, providing them with information from Pinellas County Parks and Recreation and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. If you haven't already seen this information, click here for some interesting facts regarding what unscooped poop does to our environment.
Not only is not scooping up after your dog bad for the health of other dogs and humans, potentially spreading parasites such as hookworms and roundworms, it's bad for the waterways, bad for the parks and bad for the poor neighbor who got left with a unwanted "surprise," but it can also be bad for your wallet—if you get caught.
A city outside of Tel Aviv, Israel, collects DNA from dog droppings to match against a dog DNA registry used to identify owners who didn't pick up, and in some US states fines can be as high as a few hundred dollars. While local authorities aren't going to that extreme, you could be fined if you are seen repeat offending. You could even wind up in court if your neighbors have had enough. One judge in Tampa usually sees one or two poop cases each month, viewing such evidence as photos or video of an offending dog using the plaintiff's lawn.
So, as you slip on your shoes and grab the leash, remember the doggie bag.
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