(http://camdenblogs.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/pickup.jpg)Don't be a "Poopetrator", pick up after your pet.(photo credit:www.fortatkinsonwi.net) Let me ask you a question - have you ever seen anyone actually enjoy picking up after ones pet? Me neither. Let’s be honest, it sinks!  As a dog owner I’m very well aware of this - but no one likes a “Poopetrator”, so I pick it up. Although, that’s not the only reason I pick up after my pet. Here are some other reasons why I choose to be a responsible pet owner. Maybe you can relate and hopefully think twice the next time you look over your shoulder to debate picking up after your pet. 

1. Doing the math. Let’s say we have 100 dogs trailing the same grounds each day. Each dog poops twice a day. Each poop averages 4 ounces. That’s 800 ounces a day, which equals 50 pounds of poop left on the ground. That’s 9 tons a year! I choose not to add to that staggering calculation.

2. I do it for Mr. Acosta. Living in an apartment community, which takes up roughly 14 acres, there is a large pet population. It ruffles my feathers having to see our groundskeeper, Mr. Acosta, picking up after other people’s pets. Especially when it’s cold and rainy or in the dead heat of summer. His time could be spent doing so many other things for our community.

3. Shoes! My shoes are very special to me. They are the one thing that I get to splurge on. I do not want to be scraping doggy poo off of them. Nor do I want to unknowingly trail someone’s dog poop into my home or vehicle. I would be embarrassed to know that my irresponsible actions caused someone to have a bad day. So for that, I pick up after my pet.

4. Peace of Mind. There was a time I didn’t pick up after my dog (slapping myself on the hand). I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. I was a “Poopetrator” – guilty. I knew it was wrong, yet despite my better judgment, I continued to just walk away. I would see the orphaned poop as I took out the trash or as I walked out to my car. I felt as if it was staring me down as I walked past. I decided to remove that bit of unnerving guilt from my conscious and began to be a responsible pet owner by picking up after my pup. One less thing to worry about.

We all know right from wrong and in any community, whether it is an apartment, housing subdivision or park, we should all do the right thing by picking up after our beloved pets. Create a little less work for the person picking up the grounds, help avoid being the cause of someone’s bad day and most of all have peace of mind about your actions as a pet owner. That one small action can make a world of difference in someone else’s life. Oh, and don’t be afraid to politely ask someone to pick up after their pet. You can even go as far as offering them one of you doggy bags. Sometimes all a person needs is a little push in the right direction to help them get on the path to become a responsible pet owner.