Four-legged waste management

Brien Lee spots a dog-catch-22 with, well, Spot.

"By ordinance, the owner ... of the property is to pick up any dog waste within 24 hours. Even if it wasn't left by your dog, but by someone walking their dog who hasn't picked up after it, it's the property owner's responsibility to clean it up." When the ordinance was drafted it was probably copied from a community with the law already in place. A warm-weather community.

I'll tell you right now that, except for our walks, I haven't picked up the yard after Sir Fido in months. How could I? If it's not too dark to see after work, then snow has fallen and covered it up. If not snow, maybe it rained and froze it to the ground.

So every day when I wade through the snowbanks hunting for a fresh pile... Suppose I find something, then what? Another bright ordinance tell us we can't throw it away in the garbage. We can't just not throw away dog waste but any animal waste. We're not only supposed to pick it up but pick it up every day then not throw it away. Makes sense.

What's the recommendation? "Day and the Wisconsin DNR website recommend finding an out-of-the-way spot in your yard to bury dog waste..." I'll get right on it.