The only thing worse than stepping into a pile of dog poo with your pristine Nike Air Force 1’s is having that waste land on your head, courtesy of a passing pigeon.
It’s no surprise that dog owners and walkers who don’t clean up after their dogs have drawn the ire of members of the public.
As a result, there have been appeals for stricter punishments to be imposed on such dog owners.
A youth group, however, has decided to take the more paw-sitive approach and make a paw-sitive impact.
Here’s what you need to know.
Youth Group Launches Campaign to Encourage Dog Owners to Clean Up After Their Dogs
This group of youths have titled their campaign the PAWsitive Norms campaign, which was launched last Saturday (10 Apr).
They aim to encourage dog owners to abide by the unspoken social norms: keeping their dogs on a leash when out on walks, cleaning up after dogs who have answered the call of nature while out and about in nature, and throwing their waste away in designated bins.
According to Mr Tatum Khoo, 24, chairman of the Bukit Timah Youth Network (BTYN) which organised the campaign, “For a lot of us in the area, this issue (of dog waste littering) is a long-standing one so we decided to take it into our own hands.”
PAWsitive Norms invites people to make virtual pledges for a “pledge wall” showing support for the stipulated guidelines. It has started in the Upper Bukit Timah’s Mayfair Park Estate and organisers hope that the project will be taken all throughout the estate, and maybe even beyond.
The campaign was launched at the official unveiling of the Mayfair Park Playground Dog Run, in which dogs are allowed to play freely unleashed. The event was opened by Senior Minister of State and Member of Parliament (MP) for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Sim Ann.
Around 15 dog owners attended the opening of the dog run in Mayfair Park, accompanied by their adorable pets.
8 Shiba Inu Dogs Put Up for Adoption With Strict Adoption Criteria
In more dog news, if you’re confident that you’ll make a responsible dog owner who won’t be a nuisance in the park, you may be pleased to know that eight Shiba Inu dogs have just been put up for adoption by Voices For Animals.
However, you’ll have to go through a stringent selection process in order to successfully take these dogs home. From a comprehensive online application form to in-person interviews, this process certainly isn’t going to be a walk in the park (ha!).
Feature Image: Facebook (Sim Ann 沈颖)