Pooped Out

LIAM IN WALKING GEAR 

We have a dog walking street in New Hyde Park. It is Leonard Blvd. The designation of boulevard evokes a street with high level aspirations. It is the western quarter of the perimeter of North Hempstead Town Park.  There is no access by car for a good number of blocks. If you are on the east side of New Hyde Park Road and own a dog you most likely walk along Leonard Blvd.

LEONARD BOULEVARD LOOKING NORTH

Our street, Baxter Avenue, has Leonard at its end. Being the second house in, Liam and I have a short walk to reach it. Some folks drive to it and park and walk. Idyllic. Peaceful. There is a no car access street before New Hyde Park Memorial HS so it is possible to continue the walk.by turning left by the school. We place our doggie waste deposits in the can at the edge of the school.

LEONARD BOULEVARD LOOKING SOUTH

In the six years we have had Liam this street is our walk for the bathroom trip. Not everyone picks up their doggie deposits. I mentioned the High School. Not every student throws their trash in the can.  One has to dance a bit and zig zag to avoid stepping in poop and fast food remnants.The food containers and discarded drink cups and dog leavings are minefields for humans and conversely a "walk in the park" for our dogs.

This year we dog parents are invigorated by news of a dog run. Oh joy! Right across the street.  Like city folks enjoy. Just a walk, and sit and watch. A study is being done. Surely we will be approved. There are fields of unused land at this town park. A second garbage can appears on Leonard Blvd.  Two places for poop and student debris. A luxury. Our cans no longer overflow. All this must be prep for our dog run.

Bad News.
Dashed hopes.
No dog run.
Study shows not feasible. Smells fishy. Reasons cited nonsensical.  Informal talk around the boulevard is that there is fear we dog owners will come, leave our dogs in the dog run and go watch the sports activities in the Town Park or go to the Health Club. Really? Why would we all do that? Leave our dogs alone and go for a swim??? Do residents leave their children alone at the playground and go for a workout?
Undercurrents of disappointment and suspicion in this dog loving community.

After the news, our Boulevard changes.
Our second can vanishes

Back to the over flowing school garbage can.
Last week that one disappears.

Why? Seems can has been removed because those in charge of emptying it cannot stand the smell.

We now do not have any garbage cans along the popular dog walking section of the Boulevard.

No place to place waste.

Immediate result
Dog waste pile up where the can was.
Poop protest?
People are not picking up.
A rebellion.
There are no receptacles for dog waste disposal.
We have to take it home.

Students join in. They are now dropping their garbage on the sidewalk and street and grass as they walk home.  On our most recent walk I see a pizza box, Dunkin Donut detritus, chip bags, smashed pumpkins, candy wrappers and bones. Yes! Bones! Liam smells every item before I see each one. I am tugged back and forth as his nose goes. The littered street looks like Jericho Turnpike during our street fair.

Do we have a backlash here? People unwilling to carry waste and garbage home. 
Liam and I meet our friends Wrigley Wilbur and his Dad (SSA retiree) we lament the poop situation and the dog run situation. What to do? We chat, pick up... and continue on.

Liam gets ready for another walk. I get the poop bags out. We hope our walk is a worthwhile one. 
Run to the back, sneeze, run to the side, shake, go to the front, repeat as necessary. Liam has a sort of OCD tick about the walk. He has to do this every time. He knows the blue harness means a walk, not a backyard bathroom trip. So he will not do his business in the back.  We both want a productive walk.
See his routine

And away we go. Liam is ready at the gate.

Good news
The Holiday cups are out. November 1st. Liam has his inscribed by our New Hyde Park Starbucks manager, Anita. She adds a cat sticker to entice him. Liam will have his licks at home after the walk. Anticipation. Thanks Anita and Starbucks staff.

The Leonard walk is fraught with danger and fun for Liam. Same for me. Check paws and feet upon return. So much out there.

EMPTY LIAM, POST WALK

Woof, Woof