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Except for our first brief worldly encounters as infants, there's
not much chance for us human folk to be carried when it’s raining,
served all our meals, or cleaned up after. This lifestyle is reserved
solely for our tail-wagging, cat-chasing friends. And while many
dogs have it made worldwide, there is undoubtedly something special
with these Parisian pups. They seem to have an all-access pass to
the city -- metros, shops, and restaurants included. I’ve waited
on line in post offices, shopped in department stores, and even
dined in restaurants alongside our canine companions -- a sight
unseen back in the States, apart from the occasional seeing-eye
dog.
Ah, "la vie de chien." France is a society that caters
to the dog. Flip through the pages of FUSAC, the popular resource
for english-speakers in Paris, and you'll find several enthusiastic
expatriates offering their dog-walking services. While master's
degrees quickly lose value without a work visa, we can certainly
find work on the black market slaving away for the pooches. Scan
the phone book and you'll be bombarded with listings for pet supply
stores, groomers, and even obedience schools -- Paris seems to have
a much higher concentration of these than other big cities. Why
the pups enjoy such an extravagant lifestyle here is beyond me,
but I think it may have to do with the lifestyle of their oh-so-glamorous
owners.
Luckily, I’m an animal person, so their omnipresence doesn’t
really bother me. Still, I find it hard to believe that there are
not stricter laws or community standards regarding our four-legged
friends.
God bless the person with animal allergies -- this city just isn’t
a safe place to be for you. Don't even think about sitting down
for a meal, or stepping into a shop that guarantees a dog-free environment.
Let’s just hope that the dogs don’t develop allergies
to humans -- we might all end up under house arrest!
Those of us who have unwillingly joined the ranks of the Paris Poop
Patrol are accustomed to tuning into our "dog-droppings radar"
the second we hit the sidewalk -- this is a sixth sense inevitably
developed after a few weeks here. There's nothing like a too-close-encounter
while wearing those brand new strappy sandals to make you realize
that we must draw the line somewhere -- and that should be far away
from our sidewalks.
We live in a crowded city -- mostly in apartments -- and although
this isn't the ideal environment for such energetic creatures, we
have taken them in and will undoubtedly keep them. Unfortunately
many of us haven't given much consideration to the fact that, unlike
cats who gladly confine their unmentionable duties to a small box,
dogs will happily make the center of your living room their toilet
if not offered a more outdoorsy alternative. With those big puppy
eyes and the incessant wagging of their tails, dogs easily bamboozle
prospective owners into overlooking the inevitable messes that go
along with their newly aquired pet.
As a result, our city suffers from 'dog pollution'. Granted, the
'pooper-scooper' is not the most glamorous of accessories, but neither
is a nice fresh dropping on those brand new summer sandals. The
dog owner's philosophy seems to be that if they make the slightest
attempt to maneuver their pup's rear towards the gutter, they have
done their job. And of course, there's always the argument that
"we wouldn't want the street cleaners to be out of work, would
we?"
This past April has brought new hope to those tired of running this
sidewalk obstacle course. A brand new decree declares that dog owners
must now collect dog droppings not only from the sidewalk, but from
the gutter as well. Yves Contassot, the mayor's top man for cleaning
up the city, announced on April 9th that those accompanying the
dog are legally responsible to "proceed immediately with the
appropriate measures for the collection of excrements that the animal
leaves on all parts of public areas, including the gutter, and also
in the squares, parks, gardens, and green public spaces."
Yup, with the warm weather here, we must remember that dogs are
allowed in some Paris parks, too, so searching for that place to
lay out may well be like tiptoeing through a minefield (well, maybe
not quite as dramatic). Although most park workers have bags to
hand out to dog owners, and the parks are usually equipped with
special receptacles for proper disposal, somehow the idea just hasn't
caught on. But with the new law enforced, as I hope it will be,
offenders will be more hotly pursued by law enforcement to pay the
standard fee of approximately 180 euros, which can run as high as
450 euros.
There has to be a way to advise dog owners about etiquette -- and
certain laws -- if necessary. Hopefully, the new decree with it's
warning of heavily enforced, fat fines, will help ease the situation.
I know I'm not in any position to approach people on the street
in my broken French for a good debate about proper poop procedures,
but I thought I'd do my part here and get the word out that the
people of Paris are tired of tip-toeing through our streets. If
you're a dog owner, please show some courtesy!!! If you are one
of the few that cleans up after you're dog, thank you! And if you
own no dog but suffer the circumstances, you're welcome.
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