Dear Editor:
I am writing to find out if there is something that can be done about the plethora of unremoved dog waste around the streets of West New York. I have been a resident of West New York for the last six years and it is getting pretty ridiculous. There are so many times when I am walking around my neighborhood and have to constantly dodge what I like to call “a dog waste minefield”. Owners responsible are of both the large and small dog variety. I love dogs and if I had a backyard, I would have one but it’s not the dogs’ fault, it’s their owners’ fault. I mean, we all live here, it’s our neighborhood, why shouldn’t we want to keep our streets clean?
This is not to say that there aren’t responsible dog owners that do clean up after their pets. These owners set a great example. I don’t have kids but this is a huge health risk for us and them. What if their own kids stepped in this mess? I know this kind of thing may seem trivial given some of the other problems in West New York, but I think most, if not all, residents of West New York don’t want to deal with this blatant disrespect to their city by these irresponsible dog owners. Here’s what I propose. I have not seen too many signs that talk about the fines and rules regarding curbing your dog. These need to be increased. Once they are posted, there can be some sort of public service campaign (flyer, ads, mailing, etc.) in English and Spanish that detail the fines (which should be increased to further deter this type of behavior). In fact, New York City just increased their fine from $100 to $250 for not picking up dog waste. It would be a great revenue source for the city as well and lead to West New York being among the cleanest in Hudson County. We all want that. I’ll even create the flyer and drop them off door to door in my free time myself. That’s a promise. If there is enough money in the budget, additional garbage cans can be placed strategically around town. I know there are some on Boulevard East, but we need more away from Boulevard East. Another budget pending thing could be the addition of plastic bags for the disposal of the waste on these garbage cans. I have seen them in other towns and think it’s about time we get some. Once this campaign is rolled out, there should be no reason/excuse why Mr. Pit Bull owner or Mrs. Poodle owner can’t clean up after their pets. And, if they choose not to, they will be fined accordingly. It is absolutely disgusting for these people to continue to make our streets a “minefield” and would really hope that something can be done about this issue. Sometimes, I think the dogs are more civilized than their owners. Dogs have no choice but to be dogs, but people have the choice to act like people and not animals.
Christian Alcantara