By Christine Cowett Robinson
Special to the Aroostook Republican
What would happen if everyone let their dog “doo” on the ground and left it? Where our children walk and play would be a slimy mess full of disease, that is what. When your dog messes on public property, it is your job as the owner to clean it up. I was at the Northern Maine Fair at the horse show last weekend and watched a woman’s dog relieve itself, the owner says “well, I don’t have a napkin” and walked off with her dog. Nice. Do you know how many people stepped in that? Lots. Our local bike paths and roadsides are the same way and there is no need for it. If you can’t clean up after your own dog, then dogs will begin to be banned from public areas, it is that simple, ruining it for the rest of us who do clean up after our own dogs.
Many people do not understand the dangers of not picking up after their dog. Here are some reasons why it is so important:
• Dog waste can transmit bacteria and viruses including tapeworm, roundworm, E. Coli, Parvo and more;
• Canine fecal matter is a top contributor to storm water pollution;
• Waste matter accumulation can negatively affect your lawn’s appearance and health;
• Dog waste cannot be used as a fertilizer;
• A pile can take a year or more to fully break down;
• Dog waste accumulation can attract mice and parasites; and
• Dogs can be found in three out of five households in the U.S. That’s a lot of poop!
Information courtesy of: www.1800dogpoop.com.
The bottom line is ‘pick up the poop.’
It is the policy of the Central Aroostook Humane Society (and many other humane societies) to have potential adopters fill out adoption applications; we check them and decide if you are going to be able to adopt from us or not. Part of that process is a vet reference, where we call the veterinarian and ask if your current or former pets were altered and up to date on shots. That is not the only part of the adoption application that we consider but it is a very important part to us. When the vet’s offices are closed, a vet reference is not possible and we must wait until their next business day, that means you must wait.
It is also our policy not to hold animals, since we have been burned many times in the past holding animals for people who never came back. Apparently this situation happened last weekend and we had some very upset potential adopters. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we do everything in our power to ensure that the animals who are in our care get the very best homes. I am sure you can appreciate the time and effort it takes to check references for each adoption I am sure you can also appreciate the importance of us caring enough to do so.
Unfortunately, some people are quick to poo-poo our policy and find it necessary to be verbally abusive to our staff. That is not acceptable behavior and will not get you an animal from us! The employees don’t make the policies, the Board does, so don’t shoot the messenger.
Our group, Friends of CAHS, will be having their quarterly meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 10, at the Presque Isle Library at 6 p.m. This is a group of people wanting to help the humane society but not wanting to become a Board member. They support us in our fund-raisers and have fund-raisers of their own. I must say, they really have been a great source of support for Board members. So if you want to make a difference in the lives of the homeless animals of the County, stop by and visit; at least gather information on how you can help us to help them.
If you are looking for a “friend for life,” please visit the Central Aroostook Humane Society.
Please have your pets spayed and neutered.
