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Letter: The Poo Fairy

The Poo Fairy

The Open Space and Trails board members I’ve talked to have been amenable to considering more off-leash areas and trails, but it seems pretty clear that we dog owners are collectively blowing it. I’m sure John Armstrong is right, that even the vigilant among us can do a better job. After yesterday’s media treatment, any new proposals for leash-free doggie areas could meet with a real s— storm from the righteous canine-challenged.

Now that I’m downvalley, Smuggler is off the radar but Arbaney-Kittle has become the new backyard hike. Despite some poop problems at Arbaney-Kittle, it hasn’t become the mess that Smuggler has, but maybe only because nobody’s walked around with pink flags.



After The Aspen Times’ page one and page three treatment, I’m sure we’ll all do a better job, at least for a while. The poop problem that will keep biting us in the butt is the 15 percent who don’t pick up. The 85 percent of us who do scoop must do more than pick up our own dog’s poo. I encourage all of us responsible dog owners to:

1) Bag somebody else’s poo on a regular basis. If squeamish, at least pick up some of the old, hard ones. (Question whether you should be a dog owner if squeamish.)




2) Notice and pick up bags-o-poo on the way down even if they’re not yours.

3) Nicely inform other dog owners when you notice their dog pooping and the owner is missing it.

I’ve been known to leave a bag on the trail at Arbaney-Kittle on the way up, but I pick up all the bags I can find on the way down. On Arbaney-Kittle, that has never been more than five or six. Half the time, some other dog owner has picked up all the bags before I come back down. I hear that is not happening at Smuggler and that there are bags everywhere, as well as the obvious poop everywhere. Dog owners should take action now before the poop really hits the propeller!

Sam Cox

Basalt