May 3, 2007

Message to Dog Owners

Please be considerate of your neighbors.

Dog waste:

Dog waste is showing up in many of the common areas and on other neighbor's property.

In addition to being nasty to look at, dog droppings are harmful: 

  1. Dog feces contain disease-carrying bacteria and toxins that can increase the risk of viral infections and flu.

  2. Infective worm eggs and larvae in dog feces can transmit diseases from your dog to people. Roundworm, hookworm and other parasitic worms may be transmitted to young children and people with compromised immune systems who sit or play in grass or wood chip mulch where dog feces are present.   

  3. Ocular larva migrans - an eye disease caused by parasitic worms found in dog droppings can cause serious eye damage to young children.

  4. Dog feces and urine can result in lawn burn or dead patches.  When it's your dog on your neighbor's lawn, or in all of our common areas, it can cause hard feelings towards you, and your dog.

Unleashed dogs:

Owners may believe their own dog is friendly and safe. Unfortunately an unleashed dog running around can justifiably make people, especially children, nervous or afraid. No one should feel apprehensive about going outside their homes, or to our parks because of unleashed dogs.