Hardwick City Council deals with 'dog poo' concerns

Hardwick City Council is considering enforcement of its public nuisance ordinance after a resident submitted a written complaint.
City clerk Tammy Johnson read the letter at the council’s April 11 meeting.
“There are many people in town with dogs,” wrote Cindy Moerke. “Most of them pick up their pets’ poo, but there are some who do not.”
She said pets often leave excrement on lawns of residents who do not have pets.
“This summer could be bad if this continues,” she said.
Dog excrement is not the only nuisance council members have observed, and they’re considering possible enforcement in the community of 186 residents.
“And not just dogs. Cat poo. I see cigarette butts all over town. Garbage blowing around,” Mayor Tom Haas said.
The council adopted its current nuisance ordinance in 2016, primarily due to the accumulation of materials piled against garages and outside homes.
The ordinance defines public nuisance as intentional acts that affect the health, morals and decency, peace and safety of city residents.
The city can enforce compliance and misdemeanor charges.
Council members took no action on Moerke’s letter at their meeting.
 
Pet excrement poses
no health hazards
Environmental health manager Jason Kloss said Monday that natural deposits by pets on lawns generally pose no health hazard.
“Animal feces on lawns typically does not meet the definition of a public health nuisance, unless the accumulation is particularly excessive,” he said.
“It’s just negligence by the pet owner. It’s not fun to see.”
Hardwick is not the only community experiencing pet excrement on lawns after cold weather begins to abate.
“In winter it is difficult to manage the routine cleanup,” he said. “In the springtime, responsible pet owners will clean up their pets’ messes.”
In larger cities, where there are more personnel to enforce nuisance ordinances, pet owners are required to submit DNA samples. Excrement found and traced to the pet leads to fines to the owner.
Kloss said many smaller communities cannot afford such enforcement measures.
These towns rely on the cleaning up after one’s pet as being a “good neighbor.”
“Go by the ‘Tall Grass Rule,’” he said. “If there’s tall grass, especially along the township road, where pets can do their business, no one cares. If it’s on a manicured lawn, it’s not acceptable and pick it up.”