Doggone it, you can do better

THE EDITOR: On a Sunday morning walk in the Botanical Gardens, as I am about to step through the gate I am forced to avoid dog faeces by my feet. Now you may think it could be from a stray, and in my experience there have been the occasional few.

Instead, I would risk assuming that it came from a dog whose owner selfishly chose to leave it behind. Even if you may not have a baggie, you are in a garden after all. For the sake of the dozens of other people who will walk through the garden, can you not sacrifice a leaf or two and clean up your dog's mess?

Then I bend the corner and see a bench with what appears to be the remains of some group's Saturday lunch. Why? Every pathway has a bin. To exit the gardens you will easily pass two bins along the way, where you can dispose of your garbage.

Are you not thinking of the gardens' employee on Monday morning having to clean up your two-day-old garbage? And what of the other people who want to sit and enjoy the space but can't, because your leftovers are stinking?

Come on, we know better, do better. Think of others when you use a public space.

JESSIE-MARIE CHAVES

via e-mail