We once had a reporter at The Squamish Chief who would count poop piles while on her lunch break.
She would meander over to a food truck and then walk back and report her — er — findings.
While it was not good for our appetite, it became a running joke in the newsroom, waiting to hear about what she saw. Sometimes she would text us an update.
That was fun.
But it is really no laughing matter.
As the snow has melted away and visitors begin their annual return in droves, it behooves us to remind dog owners that little feces fairies don’t come along and scoop your Fido’s puppy piles. And no, kicking rocks or leaves over it doesn’t count.
Not only is it nasty to look at and leaves visitors with a shite impression of our town, but it is also likely not all that healthy for folks to breathe in doggy deposit vapours.
A University of Colorado Boulder study — that will be hard for you to forget — found airborne fecal matter at not insignificant proportions in the air of some cities. Researchers could only assume this was from dogs.
Well, there goes the “breathe in that Squamish mountain air” slogan we were hoping to market.
And with so many kids in town, leaving the pooch’s poop out for kids to step or fall in is risking them ingesting bacteria and parasites that could make them sick.
No need to bark around the point. Scoop your dang dog’s No. 2 — it is gross not to.
Other doggy notes
While on the topic of dogs, as the temperature rises, remember canines are better off at home than in a hot car.
The SPCA notes that when it is 21 C outside, it quickly becomes 32 C in the vehicle after 10 minutes. When it is 23 C outside, it is 34 C after 10 minutes in the car.
If you see a dog alone inside a vehicle on a hot day, call 911.
Vets Now, a U.K. site that links pet owners during emergencies with an in-person or via video veterinarian, states that walking with dogs up to 19 C is fine (that is what we hit on March 18), but vigorous exercise in temperatures above that is not wise.
And for the sake of all that is rational, don’t drive around with your dog loose in the bed of your truck. They don’t have wings, so if you stop quickly or worse, Fido won’t fly. Also, it is against the law.
If we all put the health of our furry friends and each other ahead of convenience, we should have a more pleasant summer season — though less eventful lunchtime walks.
