The truth about cats and dog doo.

Heymatt:

Is there a law against owners dumping their dog's waste in other people's trash cans? Most evenings one of my cats gets chased down the street by a dog, while its owner looks on, leash in hand, with an amused look on their face, or I catch another owner surreptitiously dumping their dog's waste into my or a neighbor's trash can (we have to put them at the side of our houses; they won't fit through the back yard gate). I think it's very rude and wanted to see if there were any laws for me to inform these inconsiderate doggy-doo dumpers.

-- Julie, at home

Doggie Daddy should not let Bowser off leash; that's law number one on your side. (And a legal leash is no more than six feet long.) Dog-poo laws require the human in charge to curb the dog, clean up the mess immediately, then dispose of it in a "proper receptacle." But not necessarily the closest proper receptacle. Trespass laws might apply here if they tromp across your property. A well-placed note on the can lid might let the miscreants know you're irritated. But don�t expect much. Nothing aggravates dog owners more than listening to cat owners whine about being picked on. If you and your free-range kitties can't take it any more, try the city's mediation service. It's better than throwing a volume or two of the municipal code at hem.