Pet peeve

Every time I walk along a trail near a main road, I come across one or more of these, and go on my way ranting.

Dog poop in a conscientiously selected, carefully tied plastic bag, left beside the trail.

Text of usual rant:

"Look, I see that you're trying to be a responsible pet owner, but think! Use your head for a change!

Your dog's doings will biodegrade, and quickly. One good rain, and they're gone. A hot day, and they'll crumble into dust. But the plastic bag will be there when your remote descendants pop down from Mars to show the kids the old ancestral home. That stuff is forever!

If you don't want to carry the doggy-do out, (and I understand that), carry a pooper-scooper. Or use a handy stick. Be a good neighbour, and remove your dog's contribution from the trail; don't bag it up, but push it away under a handy log, or in the middle of a weed patch. Bury it in the sand, if you will (but not where kids play, but I don't have to tell you that, do I?)

Skip the plastic altogether; why add to all the tons already lying around? Why tempt the birds with what looks so fresh, so delicious? Why?

Need a bag for your dog's leavings? Bring a paper bag. It won't biodegrade as fast as dog poop, but it will be gone by next year, anyhow. Your plastic bag won't.

But whatever you do, don't bag up the stuff and leave it behind to pollute the park!"

End of rant. Until the next neat bag of poop.