Portlanders agree: Don't dump poop in private bins
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
It's a question that has bedeviled dog owners — and owners of streetside trash cans — for as long as domesticated dogs have been defecating: what's the ethical thing to do with your pet's poop?
Why it matters: The vast majority of Axios Portland readers who responded to our poll think the only responsible thing to do is tote your dog's waste home or find a public receptacle for disposal.
By the numbers: Of the nearly 100 people who responded to the survey, more than 70% said it's the dog owner's duty to take it home or put it in a public trash can.
- Nearly 27% of respondents said it was fine to put it in the nearest receptacle, even if it's someone's private bin.
- Two of you said you just leave the pile wherever it lands, which is gross and you should feel bad about yourselves.
What you're saying: "Owners MUST take it home," wrote Allen W. "Some owners have put their dog poop in MY garbage bin and I would discover much later that my bin thoroughly stank of warm, decomposing dog poop."
- "If it is on the public right of way, it is open season," wrote Mark U. "If it is on private property, it's off limits."
- Russell E. told us he stopped putting it in private cans after he read online how angry it can make people, but "if it's trash day and the cans are on the curb…then sometimes I do still sneak the poos in there while walking so I don't have to tote it home."
💭 My thought bubble: As the owner of two dogs, I lean toward Russell's approach.
- If the trash can is on the curb and is ready for pickup, I'll use it in a pinch.
- Otherwise, private cans are a no-go.
The bottom line: Reader Karen R. seemed to sum up most of your feelings best.
- "Responsible pet owners dispose of their pets' waste appropriately, not in their neighbors' garbage," she wrote. "Life sucks as it is right now. Be a good neighbor, whether you're in your own neighborhood or not."