- Originally published: July 14, 2014 5:39 PM
Updated: July 14, 2014 8:53 PM
By SCOTT EIDLER [email protected]
Pick up or pay up.
Those are the basics of a proposed law in North Hills that will require residents to "promptly" clean up after dogs -- even if the mess is on the pet owner's own property -- by putting the droppings in a sealed, plastic bag and disposing of it in a covered trash bin.
The proposed cleanup law developed after a dispute between residents in one of the village's 29 communities, Mayor Marvin Natiss said. A homeowner had complained that the droppings of a neighbor's dog were not cleaned up quickly. Natiss did not identify either homeowner.
"There was a family that wasn't picking up. A neighbor complained," Natiss said, adding that the concerned neighbor was worried rain could spread the droppings.
Because of that dispute, Natiss said, the code change requiring prompt pickup on "any property" in the village of 5,000 residents, means even in the pet owner's own yard.
The village board of trustees will hold a hearing on the proposal Wednesday. Fines for not picking up would be $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second, and $200 for the third, Natiss said.
The North Hills law is designed to mirror North Hempstead Town's animal nuisance provisions, Natiss said, but neither the town code, nor those in other villages, include specific provisions for owners to clean up after dogs on their own properties.
Other sanitation codes may apply, including one that requires properties to be kept free from "unsanitary conditions," town spokeswoman Carole Trottere said.
Concerns about pet waste have heightened in other Gold Coast villages from time to time.
In Port Washington North, street signs and newsletters remind the 3,100 residents to be friendly neighbors.
"There are people whose homes are near bus stops and these kids are . . . walking into this stuff," Mayor Bob Weitzner said of dog waste.
Animal advocates agree that pet owners should clean up after their dogs, but said the North Hills interpretation may go too far.
"I think it is an intrusion . . . on the rights of private individuals," said Beverly Poppell, past chairwoman of the state bar association's committee on animal law and the acting president of the Wantagh-based nonprofit Pet Safe Coalition.
"Droppings on private property may or may not have to be picked up immediately -- that depends on whether such droppings are a nuisance or a health code violation. It depends on the situation case by case," she said.
Natiss acknowledged property rights, but said "when a condition affects the health or welfare of the adjoining property owner, we think it's important to enforce the regulation."
Bob Sowers, a detective with the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, supports cleaning up pet waste on a regular basis to keep "a sanitary environment for your own pet," but questioned how the law would be enforced on private property.
"Someone can take a photograph, or someone can call Village Hall and we can send somebody over," Natiss said of reporting and enforcement efforts. "We think it's important that we have it [the law]. How we enforce it will be something we'll cross as we go forward."
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/north-hills-village-targets-dog-waste-in-owners-yards-1.8798869
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Who hasn’t wondered, “Why does my pet eat grass?” The truth is there isn’t one clear reason. What we do know is that eating small amounts of grass can be a harmless, albeit curious, thing for a perfectly healthy dog or cat to do. But when nibbling turns into gulping great hunks of the stuff — and grassy vomit hits the kitchen tile — it’s time to wonder what’s going on.
Causes Your vet may consider several reasons your pet is eating grass, including these: 1. Behavioral drives. Pica is a word used to describe eating things that do not serve a biologic or nutritional purpose — such as when a pet eats paper or plastic. It may be that the behavior feels good or there is some other behavioral reason. But a medical issue, such as a neurologic disease, can cause pica, so it shouldn’t be completely written off without discussing with your vet. 2. Nutritional cravings. Even though a dog or cat may be eating a nutritionally complete diet, that doesn't mean that cravings for certain things (such as grass) don't occur. 3. Idiopathic causes. Idiopathic means simply that the veterinarian doesn't know the exact cause. But you should continue to watch the situation. What To Do HomeOwners who observe their pets frequently nibbling grass probably don’t need to rush to the emergency room. Rather, they should watch their pets to gain more information about the grass eating. Ask yourself:
If you answer no to the first two, there’s probably no need to raise the issue with your veterinarian. If the answer to either is yes, it’s worth paying attention to No. 3. Armed with this information, owners can then present their findings to their veterinarians. What Your Veterinarian Will Do Your pet’s doctor will begin looking for a medical condition at work in the grass consumption. The goal is to figure out if it is a sign of a minor ailment, a more serious disease, or nothing more than normal albeit slightly eccentric behavior. Normally the vet will start with the least invasive test and move on to more expensive, more invasive tests as needed (which will depend on the severity of the symptoms). From least to most invasive:
Not every grass-eater has a serious medical problem, though. For many pets who want to sample the lawn, the prescription may be to let them go right ahead. Just make sure the grass is not treated with any chemicals that could be harmful if your pet eats them. This article was written by a Veterinarian. Reprinted from http://www.vetstreet.com/care/my-pet-wont-stop-eating-grass-whats-going-on SEE MORE AT WWW.DIRTYWORK.NET - Atlanta's Dog Clean-up & Pet Waste Removal Service. 404-876-9333 Apr 3, 2000, 12:00am EDT
Carole Clancy This is the time of the year when Atlanta is at its most beautiful. Greenery and color show off our metro area to vacationers, conventioneers, business travelers and other out-of-towners. However, there's something lurking in the grass and flowers that can sour a pleasant stroll in the park, the neighborhood, or along downtown streets -- dog poop. Now, there's growing evidence that the brown stuff isn't just an eyesore, but a major contributor to stream pollution and a threat to aquatic life. And state officials predict the problem will become more serious unless we dog owners pick up our pooper scoopers. In the Lenox Park complex where I live, few owners clean up after their dogs. The same thing is true in the park that backs up to my complex and the surrounding neighborhood. "Please pick up after your pet" signs are springing up on suburban lawns and intown patches of grass. In most parts of the metro area, pooper scooping is not an option. It's the law. In Atlanta, failing to pick up after your dog violates the city's ordinances, and carries a fine of up to $1,000. DeKalb County has an ordinance, and the fine is usually determined by a judge. In unincorporated Fulton County, which does not have an ordinance, a county employee described picking up after your pet as "part of being a good neighbor." Beyond the annoyance factor, dog waste causes worms and other diseases in dogs. And state officials regard it as bad for the environment. "One of the reasons we have a high bacteria count in metro Atlanta water is from dog waste," said Lynn Cobb, manager of the Keep Georgia Beautiful division in the state Department of Community Affairs. "It washes into the wastewater. It's a huge problem." Alan Hallum, manager of the water protection branch of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, lumps dog waste in a category of "pointless" polluters, or environmental contaminants that we can control. Hallum's staff has found 75 stream segments in the metro area exceed EPD's standards for fecal coliform bacteria, which comes from a combination of things including waste from dogs and other warm-blooded animals. "Everything you put on the ground ends up in the water," Hallum said. Dog waste and trash make it difficult for fish and small aquatic life to survive because they add excess levels of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen into steams. That throws the ecology of those streams out of balance, which means more treatment is required to make water fit to drink. In metro Atlanta, much of our water supply comes from a handful of uptakes along the Chattahoochee River. "It's safe to drink but we want to minimize the treatment process," Hallum said. Compared to taxes, growth and other problems facing municipalities and county governments, doggie patrol is not a big deal, but as the region takes on more people, our collective impact has more consequence. "With 1,000 people a square mile, you concentrate everything," Hallum said. SEE MORE AT WWW.DIRTYWORK.NET - Atlanta's Pet Waste Removal Service. 404-876-9333 BY DR. PATTY KHULY
Dog eats poop. Pet owner gags. Dog eats poop again. Pet owner runs screaming from the room. Yes, it’s disgusting. Yes, it’s potentially unhealthy. And, yes, it’s fairly common in the animal world. A pup will eat his own poop for a number of reasons:
This article was written by a Veterinarian. Reprinted from http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-eat-poop SEE MORE AT WWW.DIRTYWORK.NET - Atlanta's Professional Pooper Scooper Service. 404-876-9333 http://www.theislandnow.com/great_neck/news/north-hills-board-revises-local-pooper-scooper-law/article_139d41c0-1345-11e4-bdde-001a4bcf887a.html
BY RICHARD TEDESCO Dog owners who don’t scoop up after their pets’ could be fined under a revised animal nuisance law in the Village of North Hills. The Village of North Hills Board of Trustees voted unanimously at a board meeting last Wednesday night to amend the village’s animal nuisance law to require dog owners to “promptly remove all feces” left by their pets on “any property” in the village by putting it in a sealed plastic bag. Under the amended law, residents who fail to promptly pick up after dogs will be fined $50 for the first offense, $100 for a second violation and $200 for a third offense, Village of North Hills Mayor Marvin Natiss said. Natiss said the law applies to dogs defecating on their owners’ property as well as their neighbor’s. “If it’s a health hazard on public property, it’s a health hazard on any property,” he said. Natiss said the change in the law was not prompted by any particular incident. “We’re only interested in people cleaning up,” he said. “It’s always an issue when a neighbor doesn’t clean up a neighbor’s yard.” Dr. Gerard Scharfman, a resident of The Gates development, said residents in his development had considered establishing rules about dog owners cleaning up after their pets. But he questioned the village’s capacity to enforce the law. “Do you intend to have pooper control in the village? Because without that, I can’t see how you can enforce the law,” Scharfman said. Natiss responded by holding up his cell phone and suggested residents could catch violators in the act by taking pictures with their mobile phones. “The concept is to be neighborly. So what will happen is if there are enough complaints in a given community, we may have to send in a poop enforcer from time to time,” Natiss said. “Short of a major amount of poop piling up anywhere, I think this is premature,” Scharfman said. James Goldstein, president of the Acorn Ponds Homeowners Association, asked what the board intended by requiring residents to “promptly” pick up the poop. “Certainly we’d like to see it picked up as soon as possible,” Natiss said. North Hills Deputy Mayor Dennis Sgambati said prompt removal of animal feces is a health issue. “We want people to pick up the dog poop so that other animals aren’t walking in it and children aren’t walking in it,” Sgambati said. After the meeting, Trustee Gail Cohen said most of the village’s 20 communities have rules requiring residents to pick up pet feces and some have a schedule of fines in place for violations. “It’s a way of making people aware of what they’re expected to do,” village attorney Thomas Levin said of the amended village law. Yellow Grass, Yellow Lawn, Urine Burn, Dog Urine Ruining Grass InformationIdentify the Culprit
Before you start implementing changes to correct lawn burn, you need to make sure that your dog is actually the culprit. Several lawn diseases can look like lawn burn, causing small, characteristic brown patches. First, make sure that the brown spots are in areas where your dog urinates. Most dogs will have an area in the yard that they choose to use when they relieve themselves. Second, make sure that the grass in the brown spots is still firmly attached. Grab a handful and give it a steady pull. If the grass is firmly rooted, that points to lawn burn. If the whole bunch of grass pulls up, roots and all, then you may be dealing with a grub problem. And third, make sure that your own dog is the problem. If neighborhood dogs are coming into your yard and causing the problem, treating your own dog won't help. Understand the Cause Lawn burn is caused by the nitrogen in dog urine. Because dog urine is very high in nitrogen-containing waste products, when the dog urinates, it is similar to pouring a nitrogen-containing fertilizer on the lawn. A little nitrogen is good for the grass, but an excess causes damage. The prevention of lawn burn involves trying to reduce the amount of nitrogen coming into contact with the grass. Contributing Factors There are several factors that make lawn burn more likely to occur:
Solving the Problem Successfully treating and preventing lawn burn often requires a multi-step approach.
One Final Note All lawn burn products are not the same. Some oral lawn burn products contain the ingredient methionine, an amino acid that, at higher doses, can lower the urine pH, acidifying the urine. If the pH of the urine becomes too acidic, urinary tract problems, such as urine crystals and certain types of bladder stones, may result. We recommend choosing products that do not change the urine pH. Effective lawn burn products often contain the ingredient Yucca schidigera, which helps bind the nitrogen in the urine, so that less is excreted onto the grass. Finally, although lawn burn products can be very helpful, you may still get the best result by using a multi-faceted approach- for example more frequent watering in years when there is less rain. AND DON'T FORGET TO SCOOP THE POOP! Dog feces sitting on the lawn also kills the lawn, yellows your grass and promotes pests, rodents & odor. |
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