Pal, pick up that poop

COEUR d’ALENE — Pets poop.

That's a given.

What is not a given is whether their owners will pick it up.

Many don’t.

And that's a problem. A messy one.

Hawk’s Nest is hoping to clean it up — at least in its subdivision in northwest Coeur d’Alene.

It’s become such a crappy conundrum the former Homeowners Association president is trying to raise money to resolve it through a GoFundMe campaign.

“There’s no good solution other than paying somebody to do it,” said Tony York. “If people really care about it, then donate.”

The goal is $1,000. As of Thursday, after three weeks, it had received only two $20 donations — one of them by York.

“I doubt anything is going to happen,” he said.

There are 18 acres of common ground in Hawk’s Nest, with some secluded stretches. It’s there, and elsewhere, pet owners often let their canines do their business, and walk away, pretending they see nothing.

York referred to it as “a tragedy of the commons area. It can’t be stopped.”

Hawk's Nest residents have noticed. There has been talk, there has been mumbling and grumbling, but little has been done and the poop piles up.

The answer isn't easy to come by.

Few would be willing to confront another about their failure to clean up after their dog. A camera system would come across as a Big Brother intrusion and for sure be unpopular.

York, past three-year HOA president, said he's become weary of hearing complaints about it, so he sought a solution.

“If people really care about this they’ll donate some money,” he said.

The 10-year-old HOA, which has about 500 residents, already covers watering and mowing of 18 acres of grass, York said, but doesn’t have poop pickup in the budget.

Residents pay Homeowners Association fees of $20 a month.

“The HOA is not going to spend any money on something like this,” he said.

“We are fortunate to have extremely low HOA dues,” he wrote. “The HOA has been fiscally responsible and have had to find creative solutions to deal with budget shortfalls. Unfortunately, this also means the HOA is not flush with money and will not spend funds on non-essential projects such as this.”

EXCREMENTAL OPTIONS

Their options are to pay a company to do it or collect donations to pay for installation of dog poop bag stations, which the nearby Landings subdivision has, for ease of doggie doo disposal.

There is a third: People could carry plastic bags and clean up after their pets.

“People are not doing that, and that’s a problem,” York said, adding “it is fairly ridiculous.”

He said they could actually take samples of poop, send it in for analysis to determine the DNA and track it to the pet and its owner.

Don’t laugh. It’s real.

A company called PooPrints is billed as a “DNA solution for dog waste.”

Its website says more than 6,000 properties are using PooPrints “to ensure a clean community, improve the bottom line and increase resident satisfaction.”

For that to be effective, though, the culprit would have to be in a national pet registry, which might not be something a pet owner would voluntarily do. It would have to be something required, for instance, if you and your dog moved into an apartment complex — or a subdivision.

“No way people are going to register their pets,” York said.

Waste left behind on lawns, trails and sidewalks has long been common.

One letter writer to the Press noticed messes all along Tubbs Hill.

“I was disappointed to see all the dog poop on the beautiful trails. I see it’s universal!” she wrote.

Another letter writer brought to task a woman who failed to clean up after her chocolate lab outside the gates at Atlas Dog Park.

“Shame on you for spoiling such a pristine area and being an irresponsible dog owner,” the person wrote.

There are numerous dog waste collection businesses, such as Dookys, that serves North Idaho, including Coeur d’Alene, Hayden and Post Falls.

It’s been around since 2010 and offers weekly or one-time cleanups “to give you a fresh start.”

For one cleaning per week, it charges $15 for one to two dogs, $20 for three to four and $25 for five to six dogs.

One-time cleaning can run for $60 up to 30 minutes.

It serves about 25 homes a day and is coming into the busy spring season.

Another one, Scoop Troop, has more than 500 customers in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area and is looking to expand.

Scoop Troop was created in 2020 “to make life just a little bit better for dog owners in the local area by eliminating the most hated chore of all time… poop scooping.”

POOP LAWS

Removing pet poop isn’t just a recommendation.

In 1997, the Coeur d’Alene City Council mandated that people clean up after their dogs.

It stated that not picking up after Spot or Rover is punishable by a maximum $300 fine and six months in jail.

However, that ordinance was repealed in 2010 when the Animal Code was revised.

The current Code section is 6.15.060. It provides:

“It is unlawful for the owner or custodian of an animal to permit the animal to defecate upon a public street, sidewalk, park, or other area, or upon the property of another unless the owner or custodian immediately removes and disposes of all animal waste that may result in a trash can.”

City Attorney Randal Adams said there is an exception to this requirement for a service animal belonging to a person who is physically incapable of removing and disposing of the animal waste.

Section 6.35.010 makes it a misdemeanor to violate this affirmative duty, he said.

However, the Code also allows police to first issue a civil citation for such violation (section 6.35.020), which carries with it a $75 penalty. If the civil penalty is not paid within 30 days, a misdemeanor citation can be issued.

The penalty for a misdemeanor in Coeur d’Alene is up to a $1,000 fine, up to 180 days in jail, or both. Any such criminal penalty would be imposed by a judge.

Lelana, a Hayden resident, said she always carries two bags with her when she goes walking her son’s yellow lab, Hunter. 

“I always have my own (bags) because we walk many different places,” Lelana said as she took Hunter through The Landings park. “I like to walk here first in case he poops because there’s trash cans along the way.”

Lelana said she's noticed that a lot of people don’t pick up after their dogs, which she disagrees with but isn’t sure how to change it.

“I think if people have a mindset they’re not picking up, then they’re not going to pick up no matter what,” she said. “I’d hate to see them eliminate dog-walking.”

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Staff reporter Hannah Neff contributed to this report.