Salted Sidewalks Cause Poop Problems For Neighbors

A reader wrote in describing a new twist to an old problem: dog poop on the sidewalks is being detoured to her front steps.

The dog-friendly building on Avenue W and East 19th Street has long been a problem with inconsiderate dog owners, she says, but the recent snowstorm has made problems worse. She says the chemically treated salt put down by a nearby apartment building are causing “caring” dog owners to carry their pups to safety across the street. When pooches finish their business, the owners leave their crap – literally – in front of neighbor’s houses.

Our reader has taken the problem into her own hands. She’s posted signs at electrical boxes with descriptions of the guilty’s dogs, hoping to shame them into courtesy. So far, she says, there has been little relief. She says the dog owners should sue for proper disposal areas outside of the apartment, arguing that if pet owners are so concerned about their pups’ paws, they can seek compensation for vet bills for paw damage from the salt and chemicals in a dog friendly building.