Pick Up After Your Pets

To the Editor:

As a dog owner, it is disturbing to see the number of other pet owners who are not taking the responsibility to clean up after their own pets. Fairfield Hills is becoming a dumping ground. I used to walk my dogs through Fairfield Hills, but since the town improved access by paving the walkway it has become a mess. While walking through Fairfield Hills, it is clear that people are not picking up after their pets. Some who do, are not throwing out the waste bags. They are left on the ground, waiting for others to discard the trash.

It does not take long to pick up your pet’s waste. Why ruin the accessibility to great parkland for people and their dogs who are trying to keep the park clean? It is a simple task. The first creatures that get affected by poor judgment are the dogs that look forward to getting out of their homes and going for their walks. With people not picking up after their pets, the town might feel the need to create more stringent rules regarding where dogs may go, regardless of whether they are on a leash. It will become harder to bring our dogs out for walks.

If you are a pet owner and care about your pet, please bring a bag with you, clean up after them and dispose of the bag. Doing this simple task will make our parks more enjoyable and hopefully gain greater acceptance of our canine friends. Dogs are an easy target for people to complain about because they do not have a voice and they rely on others to take care of them. Please do not give your neighbors another reason to complain and pick up after your dog.

Thank you.

Tina Long

Birch Rise Drive, Newtown                                             April 21, 2009