Dogs Versus Mailboxes and the Case of Stolen Mail

Dogs versus the United States mail: If you use an outdoor, freestanding mailbox because you have a dog that likes to attack the mail when it's put through the slot, you may need to choose between chewed and stolen mail. Here's a report from the Chevy Chase Listserv that indicates that outdoor mailboxes may not be such a good idea in the District:

At about 2pm this afternoon at Nevada and Runnymede there was a theft from a free-standing mailbox (the mail had just been delivered) at a residence on the corner of Western, and then two men took packages from the back of the mail truck parked there. Fortunately a young woman passing saw this happen, and got the tag number and description of their vehicle. Police were called, as were the Post Office supervisors.

We were driving at that intersection right after it happened, and talked to the residents, who are friends of ours. Later we talked to the mail carrier, whom we know quite well, and he told us more details. He said that some residents don't want their mail through the mail slot in the door because their pets chew it.

It Was a Wonderful Sunday

Newark Street dog.

We hope that everyone had a fun, relaxing Sunday. We did.

Dog Poop In Your Supercan: Part II

We recently posted a column posing the question: Is it okay to put your dog's poop in somebody else's supercan?

The comments generally fell into two categories: No, no, no, not ever and under no circumstances. The second category of comments was: Sometimes, maybe, but it doesn't happen often and I always use a poop bag. It's just a garbage can, after all, so what's the big deal?

On the one hand, DC's supercans belong to the city and nobody can claim that they and they alone have the right to completely control the cans. So goes the pro-poop argument. On the other hand, many people keep their supercans on private property, so dog owners have to go onto somebody's property --or kind of lean over it-- to put their dog's waste into someobody else's can: a legal no-no.

Some people actually want poop bags in their cans, because they feel for dog owners who have to carry the poop bags around for hours and because they don't want to see dog litter around their neighborhood: Here's what one DC resident said on the Communit-E listserv: "I support those who have dogs and walk them in our neighborhood. The area is very neat and clean. Please feel free to put your bags of dog poop in my supercans also. I also appreciate that you pick up after your dog and don't want you to have to carry it further than necessary."

Maybe the solution is to have a sticker that lets dog owners know whose supercan invites dog poop. I'm sure that a creative mind can think of some universal image that says, "Deposit Your Dog Poop Bag Here"

Is It OK To Put Your Dog's Poop in Somebody Else's Supercan?

This is one of those questions that's never going to be fully resolved, but it can't be ignored: Is it okay to put your dog's poop in somebody else's supercan? (We're assuming that the poop is bagged, because nobody would ever put unbagged dog waste in somebody's trash can. Right?)

The arguments pro go something like this: It's difficult to carry around dog poop in a bag while you're walking your dog and reading the newspaper (and possibly juggling a cup of coffee at the same time). Trash is a public commodity, and nobody can claim personal ownership and total control of their trash can. Finally, it's no big deal putting dog waste in somebody else's trash can: At most it's going to be there for a week, until the next collection day. And trash cans are supposed to have trash in them.

Adams Morgan Dog Shooting Justified, Says a Dog Lover

The coverage of the shooting of a dog by a police officer during the Adams Morgan Day Festival last Sunday has generated a lot of attention -- and condemnation. Most reports have been sympathetic to the dog, calling the police officer's actions unjustified and cruel.

But was the shooting justified? One dog lover and pet store employee thinks so. The blogger "Confessions of a Pet Store Employee" writes:

This officer was in a crowd of people, with a dog he did not know, that was trying to bite him. When he got to the realization that this dog which was acting aggressively and had already bitten one dog and at least one person might get loose in a crowd of people that included small children, he made the decision to throw the dog down a stairwell.

This accomplished three things. The officer tried to non-fatally injure the dog enough to back the dog down. It got the dog far enough away from the officer in one movement that the dog could not bite him immediately. It gave the officer enough distance to judge if the dog was going to come back aggressively and the distance to take a shot if need be, and the dog was down a stairwell, so he wouldn't be shooting into a crowd of people. That's some damn good fast thinking. 90% of us wouldn't have been able to do that. He neutralized a threat without harming innocent bystanders. Just what he was trained to do. Good job officer.

You can read the entire article here.

Thanks to DC Blogs and Confessions of a Pet Store Employee for spotting and sharing this.

Washington Tweets: Special Dog Shot Edition

Drawing by E.E. Piphanies

Washington tweets. A lot. The Washington Tweets column is a collection of the most interesting, recent Washington-area tweets. These tweets reveal a candid and fascinating portrait of what is on our collective minds: Twitter gives a snapshot of what we're doing, thinking and hoping for as a group. Washington Tweets is Washington in the raw. Bill Adler tweets at @billadler.

This is a special edition of Washington Tweets, focusing just on the sad and unfortunate incident yesterday in which a police officer shot and killed a dog at the Adams Morgan Day Festival.

Police Kill Dog in Adams Morgan

Graphic from Vectors.

Update:  Here is an eyewitness account of the shooting posted on DCist, which includes a link to a photo taken of the dog, Parrot. The photograph was taken just moments before Parrot was shot and killed by a DC Police Officer:

Photo I took maybe a minute before he preceded to pick up the dog, throw it down the stairs and shoot it. It was by far the most disturbing thing I have ever seen in my life. Click here for that photo.

DCist is reporting that the police have shot and killed a dog in Adams Morgan. The shooting occurred during the Adams Morgan Day Festival when a poodle and rottweiler (some reports say it was a pitbull) started attacking each other. Apparently, after the poodle and  rottweiler were restrained by both bystanders and the dogs' owners, the police ordered the rottweiler (or pitbull) released and then shot it.

Grand Opening of the Newark Street Dog Park on Saturday

Update: the opening time has been moved to11am.

The grand opening of the Newark Street Dog Park at 39th and Newark Streets, NW will take place this Saturday, September 11 at 9:30 AM 11 AM. Mayor Adrian Fenty, officials from DC Parks and Recreation, and other elected and administrative officials are scheduled to be on hand to officially open the park. Everyone --whether you have four legs or two-- is welcome to attend.

Hartz Dog Treats Recalled

If you're thinking of giving your dog a holiday weekend treat, don't make it a Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treat, because they've been recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. While no dogs have been reported ill because of these treats, nobody wants their pup to become sick. And people can catch salmonella from pets.

Salmonella causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain, and can be a serious illness in children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems

The recall affects 74,700 8-oz bags of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs, lot code BZ0969101E, UPC number 32700-11519. You can read the full recall notice here.

Beware the Petsmart "Difficult" Dog Fee

There are two things that people regularly lie about.  Well, maybe there are three things, but there are two that I can write about here:  How long their commute is (everyone lies and says it's less time than it actually is), and how friendly their dog is (your dog will bite somebody some day, no matter how "friendly" you think he is.)

It's the latter that I want to touch on briefly, because if you underestimate your dog's friendliness quotient and bring him to Petsmart for a haircut, you may find a $6 "difficult" dog fee added on.  That's what happened to a the owner of a Yorkshire terrier puppy at a New Jersey Petsmart, as reported on The Consumerist. The dog's owner wrote, "When we brought him into Petsmart, my girlfriend gave a heads-up to the groomer folks that he may be difficult and is a little scared of hair clippers, and the groomer said that was fine and that they'd work with him. They mentioned that if he was too uncomfortable, they'd do some of the job today and finish the rest tomorrow....He was...apparently difficult to groom. The Petsmart groomer...tacked on an extra fee of $6 for him being difficult to groom. Prior to the grooming, and even with a fair warning from my girlfriend, we were never informed that we could be charged an extra fee if he was difficult."

So be forewarned:  Know Thy Dog.  Or it might cost you $6 extra.

You can read the entire Consumerist story here.

Is It News?: The Washington Post Bars Its Newspaper Bags for Dog Poop

The Washington Post announced today that it is prohibiting the use of its
plastic newspaper bags for the collection of dog poop.  The Washington Post is
taking this action because it believes that using its bags for dog poop harms
its reputation and image.  "We're in the news business," Post executive editor
Nathan Aldridge said.  "We are not a dog poop disposal service."  Aldridge
added, "People are free to use The New York Times' plastic bags for Fido and
Fluffy."

The Post noted that plastic bags that have been used to collect dog poop cannot
then be recycled.  "This new policy is also a green policy," Aldridge said.

Beginning next month, Post newspaper bags will have a license agreement on them
that says, "Readers and subscribers agree not to use this bag for the collection
of dog feces or other animal waste, and they further agree not to use this bag
in any way that degrades, harms or damages the reputation of the Washington Post
or its subsidiaries."

When asked what would actually happen to people who violated the Post's new
license agreement, Aldridge said, "Probably the same thing that happens to
people who remove mattress tags.  They have to live with the worry that one day
they'll be found out and punished."

The Post will be making a separate announcement next month regarding the use of
its paper as the lining for bird cages.

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Is It News?, written by Bill Adler, is the Cleveland Park Listserv's humor
column. You can read Is It News? at www.cleveland-park.com and
www.alllifeislocal.com.