I've been thinking about this for several months now, and a discussion in Hob's idea "park poo-dar" motivated me to finally get off my butt and post it.
There are lots of public restrooms available for humans in most parks, and dogs can be trained to eliminate in designated places... so why aren't there any places set aside for pets to relieve themselves without the owners having to bag and pocket their leavings? That's really nasty, in my opinion, and I refuse to do it.
So my idea is for designated sections in dog parks and scattered throughout towns in unused grassy areas where dogs can be trained to eliminate, and they are cleaned regularly by the city, or maybe volunteers or a privately-funded organization like the ASPCA or PETA. Heck, use a Poo-ba! This way pet owners can re-route their walks to pass by a Relief Junction so the dog gets used to passing it every day and learns to hold it until it goes there, and the owner doesn't have to bag it.
This spares homeowners the problem of people like me not having a bag handy to get it off their lawn, and leaving it there. This would take away my excuse and, indeed, my need for an excuse!-- 21 Quest, Jan 26 2010 Poo-ba http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Poo-ba [21 Quest, Jan 26 2010] Here's a good reason we should, [21Q] http://en.wikipedia.../wiki/Toxoplasmosis [AbsintheWithoutLeave, Jan 27 2010] so would you volunteer ?-- FlyingToaster, Jan 26 2010 No, I have a fulltime job and work too much overtime, but there's always somebody who will. I'd be willing to contribute 10 bucks a week for someone else to do it, though.-- 21 Quest, Jan 26 2010 How about an area where people are obliged to actually take responsability, say the size of, I don't know, The Earth!-- zeno, Jan 27 2010 When you go camping and shit behind a tree, do you bag and pocket it? I'm guessing probably not. But let me guess, you don't go camping, right? In a society in which we have developed very complex and technological solutions to deal with human waste, it just astounds me that we are still reduced to putting our pets' waste in plastic bags and carrying it by hand to a garbage bin. It's not a matter of dodging responsibility. There's just no reason we should have to.-- 21 Quest, Jan 27 2010 // There's just no reason we should have to// linky.-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Jan 27 2010 // for pets //
What about cats ?
Cat owners typically permit their mangy, incontinent flea-hotels to wander at will, crapping in flower beds and on lawns of adjacent houses.
It would be possible to restrict the area in which feline excretion could be performed by, for instance, nailing the cat to a board. This may seem cruel, but boards don't feel pain.
#include <EOSSACR.H>-- 8th of 7, Jan 27 2010 Not everyone manages to train their dogs to relieve themselves on command, some people don't know it can be done while others simply wouldn't be able to.
However this remains a good idea, although it does smell a bit "baked". Dogs do enjoy leaving their presents near those of other dogs. Add some posts and they would enjoy marking and sniffing them too.
With wild camping, and doing it the woods generally, enterring your deposits (choosing your site carefully) is the protocol I'm most familiar with in the UK.-- Aristotle, Jan 27 2010 From your link, Absinthe:
//but the primary host is the felid (cat) family.//
I think the solution is clear. We need a Borg exterminator (that is, a Borg who happens to be an exterminator) to rid the world of our cat infestation. 8th, are you up for a paying job with benefits?-- 21 Quest, Jan 27 2010 //This may seem cruel, but boards don't feel pain.//
I'm neutral on the idea, but [+] just for inspiring the above comment.
Thanks, 8th, for the morning laugh.-- Freefall, Jan 27 2010 [+] Good Idea. I use an empty lot near my house for my dogs on their walk. In tropical regions, rain washes away poo in the summer anyway.-- leinypoo13, Jan 27 2010 [+] including annos.-- FlyingToaster, Jan 27 2010 //In tropical regions, rain washes away poo in the summer anyway// And in colder regions, all the shit comes out of deep freeze in the Spring. [-]-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Jan 27 2010 This is very similar to an idea I was going to post: "Train your pets to crap on [21Quest]'s lawn"
[+]-- MikeD, Jan 27 2010 [+] for the idea, although not for the "I refuse to use a bag" thing.
Re: poo-borne infections -- giardia is really easy for dogs to get from mud in parks, if waste from a sick dog isn't cleaned up & then gets washed into the ground.
Re: cats -- nothing you can really do about the cats, but my dog will happily get rid of all the cat shit by eating it.-- hob, Jan 27 2010 // nothing you can really do about the cats //
It seems you are an unimaginative person, [hob]. There are many, many things that can be done about cats.
// a paying job with benefits? //
Pay too ? Benefits ? Why ? What greater reward could there be than employment as an officially sanctioned cat exterminator ? how can there be "benefits" on top of that ? That's not a job, that's a vocation...
We have out own kevlar gloves and mallet, and can start any time.-- 8th of 7, Jan 27 2010 Those were the benefits I had in mind... you've got the job.-- 21 Quest, Jan 27 2010 What about putting it in a Poozooka and shooting it onto your least favorite neighbors picture window. But a relief junction is good too. I went to a hotel that had a marked designated area but you still had to pick it up. I put under a pillow when I left. Maybe launch it into orbit. How 'bout a restroom for the dog at home really. Bun for your honesty and constructive thinking 21_Quest. I hope this idea doen't get marked for excretion.-- Mustardface, Jan 27 2010 When I go roughing it and bring my dog, yes, we both shit where and whenever nature calls but I don't do this in the park.Are there not private off leash dog parks in your area that would be happy to take your ten bucks a week and spare my floorboard carpets?
That would be good.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jan 27 2010 I need to repost my old idea...-- DrCurry, Jan 28 2010 Which one's that?-- 21 Quest, Jan 29 2010 I hope it's the "Pomeranian Grenades" one.-- FlyingToaster, Jan 29 2010 You know, I think I vaguely remember that one.-- 21 Quest, Jan 29 2010 <aside>
It's so sad when they get like this ...
</aside>
Cone on, [21Q]. here's your cup of tea ... CUP OF TEA ... TEA ... YOUR TEA ... Look, cookies, you like cookies ... yes, that's right , well done, nearly in the mouth that time ...
<Wipes tea off [21Q]'s chest, tucks tartan blanket around legs, scribbles note on chart about increasing the medication. Again.>-- 8th of 7, Jan 30 2010 You're missing the opportunity of using the 'product'. If you had a system where the poop was deposited into a methane generator, electricity could be produced to power park lights. Some sort of hinged platform that could be released when doggy was done. Then, instead of bagging useful waste in plastic and adding to the garbage piles, you are providing a green solution.-- Riki, Feb 01 2010 The problem I see is with this is an over-loaded area full of smelly poop! Only pet owners who LOVE their pet willing pick up the poop, because they should. sorry but [-] I know someone who has more kitty poop in the litter box than litter, and that's all I can picture right now!!-- xandram, Feb 02 2010 That's because she doesn't clean it enough, Xan. If properly maintained this wouldn't have that problem, nor would her litter box. I've owned several cats, I know what I'm talking about.-- 21 Quest, Feb 02 2010 That's right. With nothing more than a regular champagne cork and a roll of gaffer tape, it's possible to stop the problem of dirty cat litter forever.-- 8th of 7, Feb 02 2010 random, halfbakery