Dogs Are Not the Problem

Fouling by fowl is, unfortunately, sometimes unavoidable

My apologies in advance for posting a picture of poop in SNAPSHOTS.

I did not set out this morning on a photo expedition with either doggie poop bag dispensers or bird poop in mind. When I encountered this scene, however, something made me stop and snap the picture.

At first, I thought of the Alanis Morrissette song, “Ironic.” But was it ironic that something meant to keep a park clean had itself become fouled? Was it ironic that the poop bag dispenser was so fouled that it discouraged dog owners, including myself, from using it. (Fortunately, I brought the plastic bag my morning newspaper comes in along with me to the park, so I had no need to get any closer to the dispenser than was necessary to photograph it.)

What encouraged the birds to use the dispenser as a bathroom? Maybe they don’t like dogs and are thinking that if owners can’t get poop bags, they will walk the dogs elsewhere.

Maybe birds responsible are just nasty. I can’t confirm this, or even responsibly speculate on an answer because while I waited a minute or two for a bird to land on the dispenser for a bathroom break, none came. I would not like to be photographed pooping either.