Arizona man’s sarcastic chalk message about unattended dog poop backfired spectacularly

Unsure whether the inconsiderate pet owner had read it, the man soon noticed a shocking change in the aftermath.

PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO

(L) Man writing with chalk on blackboard, (R)Labrador retriever dog poops in the park. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L)Maskot, (R) sssss1gmel)

A man from Arizona found himself in a stinky problem after an unknown pet owner failed to clean up after their pet. He had given the culprit ample time to correct their actions before calling them out. When nothing changed, the annoyed man took the low road and left them a message written in chalk on public display. Unsure whether the inconsiderate pet owner had read it, the Arizona man soon noticed a shocking change in the aftermath.

A woman walking her dog (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Samson Katt)

Residing in Phoenix, the man, who wished to remain anonymous, had noticed dog poop lying on the sidewalks in front of his yard near 32nd Street and Sweetwater Avenue for weeks. Having had enough of the poopy mess, the man decided to circle a dropping with chalk and write a message shunning the pet owner’s irresponsibility. "I started circling messes because they are not picking up the poop—from the top, this whole thing stinks," he told ABC15 Arizona. The message read, “I’m not even mad at your dog. It just wants what we all want: to wake up healthy and have a poop.” The note continued, “I’m mad at you, the owner, for not cleaning it up! Good dog, bad owner! Be better!”

Handwritten note rages at a neighbor about dog poop - stock photo
Getty Images | Photo by RapidEye — Handwritten note rages at a neighbor about dog poop. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by RapidEye)

He was not sure whether the pet owner was someone new in the neighborhood or if it was simply a “malicious” act. “But what I do know is somebody needs to start picking up after their pets." The man hoped his clever act would draw enough attention to get the pet owner to stop, but it was quite the opposite. He claimed the frequency of dog poop around his area has now increased. “I don't appreciate when I come out in the morning and I find poop on the sidewalk... I mean, this is getting ridiculous," the man said, still hoping the nuisance would be resolved.

A dog owner picking up dog poop. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Liudmila Chernetska)

According to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, dog waste is a growing issue that not only creates social problems but can also pose serious health risks to humans. The study found that dog feces were in greater amounts in off-leash parks, near park entrances and parking lots, than in on-leash parks. This leaves public park visitors with a greater exposure to dog feces. For those wondering how big a problem it may cause, a report by Think Blue Maine revealed that just 1 gram of dog waste contains 23 million fecal coliform bacteria, with the potential of causing over 65 transmissible diseases.

A sign on grass in a neighborhood requests that dog owners please pick up after their pets. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Patricia Marroquin)

Besides hygiene issues, dog waste left carelessly can affect the environment in multiple ways. It contaminates waterways and harms aquatic life. The high nitrogen and phosphorus content can cause algal blooms in waterways, depleting the quality of the water. It is suggested that pet owners use scoopers or no-touch bags and dispose of the dog waste properly into the trash.