The poo bag fairy does not exist

The subject of this post is not suitable for illustration - so here is Bobby asking Mooli if he minds being the electric hare.

The Circle of Life song in The Lion King explains that the antelopes eat the grass, the lions eat the antelopes and their droppings provide nutrition to the grass etc. Not much of this happens in South West London.

Things change and one of the most tactile of the changes of the last ten years, is the increasing importance of the disposal of what our local council term ‘dog waste’. Gentle readers of a delicate disposition, please read no further.

The general idea is that dog owners scoop-up their dog’s poo in a plastic bag, which is then tied-up and dropped in a bin, provided that one is provided, if not the fragrant parcel must be carried until a bin is found. Everybody has different scruples as to how meticulous they are in this observance. I take the view that one should keep footpaths clear and grassy areas on which children might conceivably walk or play. Woods, scrubland and long grass are another matter. (edit: now I have signed-up to the local dog walker's charter, I am more scrupulous).

What is extraordinary are the dog owners who scoop-up their dog’s ‘waste’, no doubt feeling jolly virtuous. They then leave the neat little bag in situ or against the bole of the nearest tree. Their assumption must be that someone will come along and take the little package away - probably the poo bag fairy. There are several problems with this unrealistic expectation, not least it takes littering to a higher level. Dog poo, left to itself, vanishes fairly quickly but plastic bags filled with it are going to decorate otherwise green spaces for years.

So please spread the news – The Poo Bag Fairy is a myth. 


PS The Tooth Fairy does exist.