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Dog owners should clean up after their pets
By Shan Shan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-17 09:30
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One recent morning my husband said: "You know what I hate most now?" he asked. "It is the dog shit. I came across it on the street every day, and there is a lot of it."
"Well, you may have good luck if you stepped onto it (Goushiyun, which means unexpected luck)," I joked.
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As a non-commuter, I am lucky enough not to have to put up with the suffocation and crowdedness of the subway or buses, but it is not as lucky as it seems when you run into waste every morning.
Beijingers, especially middle-aged or elderly citizens, are very fond of their pet dogs. On my way to the office, the cute dogs in different colors and styles being walked by their owners easily win my heart and even tempt me to own one myself, but the dung they leave everywhere eclipses this fondness.
However, an animal is just an animal. You can hate them but you can't blame them. It's the person who holds the leash that should be accountable.
It should not be a problem for dog owners to bring some trash paper or plastic bags in case their pets need to answer the call of nature. With the number of pet dogs in the capital hitting 1 million, the fact that only some owners are cleaning up after their pets is not enough to ensure cleanliness of the streets.
Before blaming local authorities for not setting up pet toilets, ask yourself first whether this "pet-raising manner" has already been set up on your own side. Otherwise 2 million toilets for 1 million pets would not work this out.
To further the intervention, the concern groups for pets or communities could do their bits to curb the pollution in such ways as establishing signs where necessary or launching pet-raising manner related campaigns.
Dogs are man's best friend. So why not make them a better friend instead of allowing them to be a burden on the city's beautiful environment?
