For decades, it’s been common in pop culture to refer to New York City as an unsanitary place. We commonly refer to the stench outside. It’s just something that comes with living in a big city. Obviously, we see the piles of trash on the sidewalks due to the lack of alleyways throughout the city. The original developers and city planners didn’t take into account the future, in terms of the amount of garbage we would produce on a daily basis. New York residents generate 12,000 tons of garbage daily as reported by the sanitation department. Often when discussing the obvious sanitary issues in New York City, we reference pests such as the many roaches and sometimes cat sized rats on the streets in our public transit system as a consequence to our unsanitary behaviors as humans. Recently, we’ve even seen the government begin to search to hire specialists that have the sole purpose of mitigating these pests from our daily lives. However, there is an issue that many of us don’t like to talk about whether it be due to the fact of our love for it, or because the unpopular opinion may cast unwanted hate towards us. And this may be the leading factor as it pertains to the lack of quality of our outdoors. I’m talking about society’s obsession with dogs.
The quality of our outdoor life is being greatly impacted negatively by societies of session with dogs. When walking down the sidewalk in just about any neighborhood here in New York City, you’re likely to keep your eyes fixed on the ground to try to avoid stepping in dog feces and urine. Being that dogs are companions that obviously like any other organism needs to relieve themselves, they are the only ones that consistently do so in public spaces, shared by millions of other citizens. Our sidewalks are where we often find property owners looking to increase the appeal of their neighborhood. Spending time and money we can often find planted flowers and patches of grass around and trees throughout the city. However, recently, there has been a decline in the effort to keep these flower beds intact, due to the constant allowance by owners for their dogs, to relieve themselves on flowerbeds, and other outdoor areas, that we visibly enjoy.
Often many of us find ourselves trying to get around a long leash on a crowded sidewalk. Many dog owners allow their dog to walk them instead of the other way around. This leads to sidewalks being crowded with dogs running amok, leaving the rest of us to do our best to try to avoid the many feet of space taken up between a walker and dog’s long leash. The mindset of “he/she goes wherever he wants” is something that has been adopted by too many dog owners, as they see their dog as equals to humans and not property they are responsible for.
The largest driver of my personal frustration with dog culture is its effects on our public parks. We have many areas that are dedicated for dogs to play and do anything else they need to live happy lives, however these dedicated areas are not enough for selfish dog owners. Owners often ignore clear signage and allow their dogs to run wild all over grass and other foliage that is intended for people to enjoy. Our kids are robbed of the ability to play, a family can’t enjoy a picnic, reading a book sitting out on a clean field of grass is all impossible when constantly watching for dog feces. The grass often dies leaving lawns that are eyesores to park visitors. All so that our dogs can run and piss where they prefer being that they will seemingly hate their owners otherwise.
Where did this obsession with dogs come from anyway? Dogs have gone past their place as the family pet that runs around in the backyard. They now join us at our local restaurant, gym, nightclub, laundromat, coffee shop, literally anywhere an owner can get away with it… which is constantly moving towards everywhere regardless of what everyone else thinks.
Owners have began to think of their dog an a service animal when they have no skill whatsoever. Taking their dogs everywhere and claiming their dog with no skills beyond knowing how to sit is a service animal should be a fineable offence. The amount of selfishness to disregarded what others think, as long as you have your dog with you it doesn’t matter how others feel. Calling your average dog an service animal because you need “emotional support” is disrespectful to actual people with medical conditions that would be impossible to live with without the help of their service animal. How valid is the emotional support argument anyway? The amount of people claiming to need the dogs for emotional supports should indicate that America is suffering from a serious mental health crisis. How many of these dog owners have been diagnosed with mental health issues in which the solution to mitigate said issue is… owning a dog?
For the most part, these dog owners claim to love their dogs and will advocate for dogs in many ways. But when we think about it, how much can you love an animal you breed unnaturally making it more prone to illness, took away from it’s birth family by force, and later often strip it of the ability to reproduce? The issue isn’t dogs it’s dog ownership. Dogs as well as the rest of us are victims to the selfish desires of dog owners.
I believe the only way we get to a solution is to stop ignoring we have a problem with our dog culture. We have to understand that dog owners who actually have respect for their neighbors often are looking for solutions as well. How long will we continue to to ignore issues like this that are right in our faces?
In closing, I don’t want to meet your dog. Dog owners must learn that the world does not revolve around their dogs. Your dog is not welcome everywhere although you will do all you can to bring it everywhere. Unfortunately they have shown that they will not be the drivers behind this change or thinking, that will be left to the rest of us.