Dog poop danger in Ashrafieh's Neighborhoods

few weeks ago, this facebook status of mine seemed to resonate with a big chunk of people

While we have thousands and thousands of problems in Beirut, I am going to talk about the least urgent one, because it doesn't need the state or the municipality to be solved, but I believe every single person (dog owner) can solve it by himself, before waiting for a 50.000LL fine law to start acting. Call me optimistic, but it is just stinking awful in my neighborhood and I believe that now is a good time to start talking about this (even if more urgent matters worry you all),

Pets are those happy beings you come back home to, play with, they are always there for you and never complain and as everybody knows "a dog is a man's best friend"specially, if you have the time and space to care properly for a pet, they are a big plus in anyone's life. 

While the culture of owning dogs in Beirut, and Ashrafieh more precisely, is growing with the marketing and social media efforts of some pet shops, it seems that taking care of where the dog poops is on nobodies mind, as if as long as it is not human waste, animal (big) shit is OK to have on the (little) sidewalks we have, or even next to buildings and shops entrances. 

Other then the hideous smell or the dirty shoes you might have from stepping in those, the amount of flies around them is scary, you don't want to think where next these insects are going to land.

Feel free to print and paste next to your home.

So I decided to take action alone and made this flyer and hung it in the street (Saydeh street/ Karm el Zeitoun area), The parking already banned dog walking on its premise. I have noticed others (in Tabaris) doing the same.
Here is the UAE's proud "First  internet page on dog poop" as they explain and give advice

I hope the marketers behind the "walk your dog" event happening soon in Beirut, will talk about the whole responsibility of owning a pet, specially in a crowded city.

 Any small google search can show you the many problems and disease transmitted by dog waste.

So Scoop it, curb it, bag it, trash it... just don't leave it there as if it doesn't exist and no one sees it. WE DO and no one likes it, and we think your dog is cute just not his poop.


Hint to the entrepreneurs in dogs accessories : while you are at it, get the biodegradable dog poop bags to the lebanese market. 

You want to act all hipsterish owning a cool pet? YOU got to scoop the poop.

City of Belgrade "Clean after your dog" campaign. More here

Civil society trying to save Beirut's Heritage