Editorial: No excuse for leaving doggy mess

There is no excuse for leaving dog poo behind places.

On a recent run in my neighbourhood I noticed a sign stuck in the front lawn of a property.

It was a piece of cardboard stuck to a bit of wood. The sign said something along these lines (I didn't stop to read it properly or I wouldn't have been able start running again): "If you walk your dog past here and it poos on my lawn, pick it up."

The house had a high fence with a strip of lawn in front of the footpath.

The occupants would not have been able to see people walking their dogs past and herein lies the problem.

Some dog walkers who think nobody is watching simply don't bother to pick up their dog's droppings.

They think they can get away with leaving it for someone else to clean up. It's disgusting.

I have the same problem. No fence so plenty of room for the dog to choose its spot while the owner looks the other way and hopes no one is watching. I can see people walking past but of course I'm not always home. There is nothing worse than running over dog poo with the lawn mower.

I've been told that Te Mata Peak can smell particularly bad on a hot summer's day. It seems that some people do the right thing and pick it up but then leave the full bags lying around. What is the point of that?

I think the majority of dog owners are responsible. Well, I'd like to think so anyway.

Councils even provide "doggy bags" on certain walking routes.

Or you can buy a big bag of them from the $2 shop, or use your grocery bags - there really is no excuse to leave your dog's mess for someone else to deal with.