06/24/2026
Iβve been seeing a lot of posts lately about dogs p**ping on peopleβs lawns and owners not cleaning up after them.
First, I completely understand the frustration. Nobody wants dog waste left on their property, and responsible pet ownership includes cleaning up after our dogs whenever possible.
But as someone who has owned dogs for over 30 years, Iβd like to offer another perspective.
Sometimes life isnβt as black and white as a photo, a camera clip, or a quick assumption.
Dogs donβt always give us much warning. Sometimes people genuinely forget a bag. Sometimes the dispenser is empty. Sometimes theyβre managing a senior dog, a child, mobility issues, or simply having an off day.
A recently this week οΏΌ, I was actually sitting in my car getting ready to leave for work when I watched an elderly woman walking her senior dog. Her dog stopped and p**ped on my lawn.
She looked embarrassed and stressed immediately.
So I rolled down my window and asked, βDo you need a bag?β
The look on her face said everything.
She was so grateful and thankful that I wasnβt yelling at her, recording her, posting her online, or making her feel small over a moment she clearly wasnβt planning for.
I told her, βItβs okay. Use my green bin my organic bin is right there,β and showed her where it was.
Problem solved in less than a minute.
That interaction stayed with me.
Not because of the dog p**p
but because of how surprised she seemed to be that someone responded with kindness instead of anger.
And honestly, that makes me sad.
When did we become so quick to assume the worst of people? So quick to post, shame, record, and complain instead of simply talking to each other?
Do some people leave messes and act disrespectfully? Absolutely.
But I donβt understand being consumed by the smallest inconveniences when a conversation or a little grace could solve most of it.
I pick my battles in life, and this isnβt the hill Iβm willing to die on.
What worries me more is what happens to our communities when everyone starts seeing each other as enemies instead of neighbours.
This is exactly why communities and neighbourhoods feel thinner now. People are discouraged from being friendly because theyβre worried theyβll be judged, recorded, posted, or assumed to have bad intentions.
Iβd rather be the person who offers a bag than the person who posts a stranger.
So Iβm putting out a sign:
βDog walkers welcome. Need a bag? Take one. Need to dispose of one? Use my green bin. Need fresh water for your pup? Help yourself.β
Because Iβd rather contribute to the kind of community I want to live in.
Things happen.
People arenβt always careless.
And sometimes kindness costs less than outrage.