The Boston Globe reported today that the Animal Control Officer in Ipswich is trying to convince the town selectmen to set up a DNA database of all registered dogs in the town. The idea is that when the powers-that-be discover an uncleaned up dog poop, a sample will get sent off for a DNA match, and the dog’s owner will get fined heavily.
So which will it be for Newton?
A. Continue to wallow in dog filth
B. Immediately institute a canine police state, and let’s tap their phones while we’re at it.
Yeah, I can just imagine the job advert for someone to analyze dog poo.
Having said that, there is someone in my neighborhood who does seem to be in the habit of bringing his dog to defecate on the sidewalk next to our house, and it is getting rather tiresome.
This is a timely post, as I’ve noticed a number of sandwich boards around the City reminding dog owners that April 1 is the annual dog license date.
Several months ago, another thread here discussed the poop issue and I was surprised that the City Clerk reported only 3700 dog licenses, plus another 1200 off-leash licenses. 4900 dogs in a City of 86,000 +/-? Doesn’t that seem low?
Anyway, I think that a portion of the annual license fee should be channeled to the NNHS and NSHS STEM programs to develop and deploy a fleet of drones to sniff out offenses.
As someone who frequently has to pick up other people’s dog poop from my yard I would support such a law in Newton – get your dog license; get your dog tested. In the past 2 weeks alone I’ve had to pick up dog poop in front of; on my driveway between the cars; and even further into my yard on at least 6 occasions. So much for leash laws…
@Max – excellent idea
And sometimes people leave plastic bags of poop sitting on the sidewalk, which they may or may not pick up on their return trip. I like the DNA idea. Would help keep the off-leash areas picked up. Make the license fee and off-leash park fee high enough to cover the cost.
Everyone, pls take a deeper view on municipal issues particularly with respect to south coastal areas and all of cape cod. The fear right now in those areas is tarnished heroin. Dog poop aside, those communities are arming firefighters, EMT and police with a product called “Nasal Narcan”. Where are we in Newton?
Yes, I am so ready for this. Someone regularly lets their dog poop in front of my house (and the houses next to mine) without cleaning it up. I’m sick of it, and so are the neighbors.
Max, FYI, the two numbers are not additive. The 1,200 off-leash licenses are optionally purchased in addition to the standard dog license. Which makes your question even more interesting of having only 3,700 licensed dogs in 30,443 households. That would be 12% (1 in every 8 houses) if there was no more than one dog in any given household, which is not the case. That does seem low.
While heroin in Newton was mostly hidden, unexposed, or not newsworthy, this layer of tarnished heroin and the recent application of Nasal Narcan by any emergency personnel in areas affected have saved many lives. Is Newton ready with Nasal Nacacn available?
More ridiculousness. I won’t “license” my dog nor will I give his DNA to any sort of registry. What I will do will clean up his poop.
If other people are letting their dogs crap in your yard (which isn’t OK) go to dicks sporting goods or amazon and buy a cheap game-cam and set it up in front of wherever the dog usually poops. Then publicly shame whoever it was on this or another website.
Mike
@Mike- I like it, conscientious objector to dog licensing. We don’t need no stinking badges!
@Hoss – Hey don’t you be hijacking my dog DNA thread man.
p.s. I just started a new thread for nasal Narcan
@Mike Striar. I, too, question how effective a citywide program would be since dogs so often cross into other municipalities and there’s probably some correlation between unlicensed dogs and uncleaned up poop. The problem with what you propose is that you may put the finger on the wrong dog. One of my neighbors who complains about everything and speaks to me incessantly about his woes and tribulations, was in a passion a few months back about a golden retriever that had dumped on his lawn. I asked him how he knew it was a Golden and he stated that someone had seen the retriever do it. I walk a lot and told him that I’ve run into at least 5 Retrievers in this part of the Highlands (Austin, Trevor, Baxter, Daphne and Colby), and probably more. Could he possibly tell which one it was and, of course, he couldn’t. The same is true of other breeds that have proliferated here in recent years–Black and Brown labs, Australian Sheep Dogs, and the more recent and ever elusive “Doodle” that I swear changes color depending on whether there is bright sun or an overcast sky. Constant vigilance.
@Mike-not-Striar: Let us know how the not licensing works for you. Do you keep your dog’s shots up to date with a vet? We moved to MA a few years ago and never thought about a dog license. But after taking the dog to a vet (in Wellesley, not Newton) and updating the rabies, we suddenly got a notice from Newton that we needed to license our dog. I assume there is some state registry for the vaccinations? Or Newton has the NSA tapping vet’s computers. Perhaps, like the clearing snow from sidewalks ordinance, they would not have followed up and enforced, but $10 is trivial and way far down my list of concerns about government.
I love this idea. It is a serious diminution of quality of life to have to dodge dog feces (or worse, clean it off your shoes). If there is evidence that this has worked in other communities to reduce the problem, we should consider it.
I would take issue with your graphic though Jerry… this is not a case of “bad dogs” but rather “bad owners”! The dogs are doin’ what they gotta do.
@Emily – I’m sorry you didn’t like my graphic. I just changed it
@ Bruce, of course we keep his shots up to date (He’s also a certified K9 good citizen, haha). We live out in Western MA currently, I suppose it’s possible my fiance paid the license fee without telling me if they sent a bill. I know I never did, nor would I willingly. — Just asked her, she said we didn’t license him.
It’s another stupid tax… Especially in a city like Newton where they rack up 20 THOUSAND dollars in parking tickets in a month from one space and then try to extort people out of another 250 bucks each to fight them.
THe DNA thing is funny, and an awful idea. They can take my dogs DNA, out of his cold, dead, paws.
Mike