Cleaning Up After Pets - Being a Good Pet Owner and Respecting Other Humans

A few years back, I remember hearing the story of a mayor in Paris who actually had his policemen start writing tickets for people that were not cleaning up after their pets. Right there in the sidewalks of Paris, things were getting out of hand. The problem had become so horrible that people just could not walk down the sidewalk without trying to dodge 'land mines'.

I have had a similar experience in my own neighborhood. I like to walk, particularly in the morning. I faced the same 'land mine' situation on a certain stretch of sidewalk. This raised my anger. If a someone is really not going to clean up after her pet, why can't she at least have the pet go somewhere other than the middle of the sidewalk?

Aside from the fact that the owner was not being respectful to her fellow humans, it is disgusting to walk down the sidewalk and suddenly realize that you have to watch where you step. The disgusting part is that this is organic waste that I have to avoid from another living creature. These animals could very well have parasites or other nasty things in their stool. This makes stepping in it a health hazard!

Sure, you can scrape the bottom of your shoe off before going back inside, but in all honesty how likely are you to get it all off - right down to the smallest particles that you might not even see? Some parasite eggs could end up on your carpet. Do you have a child that likes to put things in his mouth after crawling around the floor? How many little particles, no matter how small end up in your bed?

All right, I think the point has been made. On another note about animals, both cats and dogs have another problem that is very common to their human friends. That problem is gum disease. So many animals have it and so many humans do too! Do not forget to get your pet checked for gingivitis. Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in humans and probably is in pets too!

David is the author of the book:What You Should Know about Gum Disease, ISBN: 978-0981485508. Get your free report on gum disease at

Disclaimer: This article is for information and entertainment purposes only. It does not intend to render advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have or think you might have gum disease or any other health problem, visit your periodontist or physician for advice, diagnosis and treatment. The USFDA has not evaluated statements about products in this article.

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I'm very happy that I have enough sense to make my own decisions and that I don't rely on the government to tell me what is right for me.