Dog poop is all over the parks. That is what we get when we allow people to turn Burton Park into a Dog Park. Cat poop is also bigger than you think and people with cats are a lot like people who smoke, they feel like the owls is their ash tray or cat box. I also know that we have a real infestation of raccoons locally and their poops are a lot like dog poop. We need to really get the raccoons out of SC. They carry so many diseases and ticks. People need to pick up the poop and take out home with them, DO NOT put it into someone else's garbage can. I don't need to be smelling your dog's poop all week!!!!

School grounds do not allow pets - there is a sign on the Heather field that said no pets allowed. However, pet owners choose to let their dogs loose on that field. There was one time I alerted a pet owner that this field has a sign that said no dogs allowed - he flipped me off. Maybe he will care if he have kids who will run around the field after the dogs do their business!

Hmmmmm How about a "doggie-draper law" --must be worn by the cannines anytime they are out .............:-)

Heather has a dog park adjacent to school grounds. This seems to satisfy both the needs of dogs and the kids...a place where they can each run around safely and enjoy the freedoms they should be able to enjoy. That being said, it is still the responsibility of the dog owners and/or walkers to pick up after their dog(s). I often have seen this ignored but perhaps a solution such as what Heather offers is better to reduce if not eliminate the unwanted waste and four footed traffic...after all, even if signs are posted, dogs can't read...and clearly neither can their humans at times.

This is a city wide problem as far as I'm concerned. I even see it in front of city hall!! Too many people thinking they are too good to pick up after their pets. It happens in my neighborhood, and I'm sure it happens in all of them. I think you should put out the word that it's not okay to leave your dog's mess for someone else to clean up!!!

Come on people, clean up after your pets. It's not that hard....as soon as they poop, then it is your job to scoop. It's not rocket science and if it is too much trouble or too much of an inconvenience then perhaps a fish would make a better pet. I can't believe i am commenting on a post about pet poop....

There is no excuse for this. When I walk my dog I have my scooper in hand. Simple.

This posting is so timely for me. I picked my first grade daughter up from Brittan Acres today in the pick up line and she got in the car not realizing she stepped in dog poop-it got all over my carpets, seat and even me as I was trying to clean it up. Needless to say it was disgusting and even worse that she stepped in it on school grounds. So incredibly frustrating that people do not clean up after their dogs.

There seems to be quite a lot of dog poop Laurel Street downtown as well. It is pretty gross (although if you are looking you can see it better than when it is in grass) and doesn't really send a very pleasant message to visitors of our lovely city.

I have noticed there is a growing population in our City who feel entitled to do whatever they want - run stop signs, park on sidewalks, leave dog poop, etc. If you would like to be part of the dog poop solution, please let the Mayor and Parks/Rec. know you support a dedicated dog park in San Carlos.

I agree with the person who says this is a city-wide problem. It is everywhere, even in front of stores on Laurel Street. It is so bad we don't even walk after sundown.

Hi everybody -- Thanks for your great comment! I'm curious to know what a solution could be? How would you remedy this problem?

Unbelievable that people do not clean up after their dogs. I believe most Dog owners clean up after their pets. I think it's repeat offenders that take the same route.

It has gotten so bad on the the fields that we just don't take our kids there to play anymore. And, as far as the reader's comment about not walking after sundown, I agree. I feel like I always have to be looking down when I walk. It's also really frustrating when I feel like I have to scan ahead by a block before my kids can even walk or scooter on the sidewalk. This has become a huge problem in San Carlos and I hope something is done to fiure out how to fix it.

Yes, please, please do clean up after your dogs. Not doing so makes the entire population of dog owners look bad. But one other thing to remember - please. When you do pick up your dog's poop, please, please, please do NOT deposit said poop into someone else's garbage cans. You've got it in a little bag, so please take the bag home with you to put in your own garbage can. Public garbage cans in parks and downtown areas are one thing, but putting it in someone's residential garbage can (which will likely happen after garbage pick-up, but before that person has had a chance to bring in their cans from the street) is just plain rude. Don't be that person.

Sadly it had gotten so bad at Brittan Acres that the principal has now locked the gates to the playground during off school hours. The children of the neighborhood can not play on the play structure, learn to ride a bike on the black top, toss a basketball with friends on the weekend or evenings. This has been the case for almost a year. A kind neighbor even taped milk jugs full of grocery bags and signage all along Tamarack to encourage pick-up. It isn't uncommon to walk by one of the containers or signs and see a pile of poo right in front of them. This is impacting our community in such a negative way when it takes seconds to pick it up. It is part of the responsibility of a pet owner to manage this for everyone's sake.

Thanks everyone for the comments! What do you think is the main reason people are NOT cleaning up after their dogs? What should be done to fix this problem?

People are lazy! However maybe there should be doggie bags downtown for those who didnt remember to bring one. As for the parks, San Carlos needs a doggie park so that are fields and parks can be clean...........sans dog poop

When I went to visit friends in Fl, they had dog parks everywhere and also dogs were allowed in many parks. I did not notice poop laying around probably because they had bag dispenser and barrels for you to put it in easily available...even in the normal parks that allow dogs and arent exclusively dog parks. I also think people should just buy the bags on board thingy in Walmart or Petco etc and add it to their leash. Then you would not have to think about bringing along a bag. I always bring my dog to the park on a leash so she doesnt run free and get hit by cars and then let her free once inside so I automatically have them with me at all times.

It's all about enforcement. How many of you would break speed limit laws if they weren't enforced? Answer: the same percentage who break the law and don't pick up after their dog. Some people need an expensive reminder. If police officers randomly appeared at the parks and asked the dog owner if they even have a dog poop bag you would find that some people have no bag and hence no intention to pick up. They should proactively be asked to leave. This worked very well in a pilot enfocement project at SF's Ocean Beach. But it was abandoned because the GGNRA preferred to have an excuse to ban dogs from the beach. Fort Funston and many other legal dog parks have monthly cleanups scheduled. Most dog owners truly value the small percentage of open space available to them to recreate with their best friends and therefore become excellent stewards of those areas. Let's not punish all of the good, law abiding citizens, please.