If you walk along the east side of 14th Ave between 63rd and 64th, you’ll see orange circles painted in the grass between the street and the sidewalk.
At a glance, there are about 20 of these randomly-placed circles. Upon closer examination, the circles of orange paint are around dog poop.
And a few feet away, a message on the sidewalk reads, “Scoop your poop.”
Sidewalk scrawl ‘scoop your poop’
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
Paint? Great–more graffiti. Poop washes away. Paint stays around for a long time.
Good for whomever, I say. Everytime I walk The Naughtiest Dog in Ballard I end up picking up someone else's dog's poo as well. Sheer negligence.
Its utility marking paint, it comes off pretty easily.
Either way, I applaud this action and would hope that it can be enhanced by:
-Placing an arrow pointing at the offenders home
-Taking photos of them in the act and posting them online
Plenty of violators in 1545 / 1525 NW 57th Street who let their dogs poop along 56th where the old Key Bank was. I intend to upload their pictures later on.
Then maybe they should paint over it with something more lasting.
I also applaud this action, but would hesitate posting pictures online. I'm pretty sure that's a violation of privacy, and I know it's against the rules the Geeky Ones have laid down.
I hope they step in poop. Then they'll realize that they need to pick up their dogs' poop.
I'd guess that this is not an isolated incident on this street, to make someone take this action.
Occasionally I feel like taking a can of spray paint to our driveway and writing “Don't Park Here. Not for One Second. Yes, that Means You, Too.”
Two wrongs make a right??? I wonder if the person that wrote this thinks of the people that equally disagree defacing public property is a crime! From a dog owner that picks up EVERY PILE!
I live right there and as a dog owner I applaud this. I regularly see people ignoring the scoop laws around here and it makes us conscientious dog owners very pissed off.
Great. Now the sidewalk has dog poop /and/ a giant sign saying “Scoop Your Poop”. Doubly attractive.
I'm all for scooping. I always scoop. I get as pissed off as anyone at people who don't. When I see it, I yell at them, try to make them feel like what they should be scooping.
But this passive-aggressive crap doesn't work. The signs that say “Don't let your dog poop here”? All they do is further uglify the neighborhood.
I believe it they are in public, on public property, their photo is fair game. Unless someone tries to sell it or make a profit by it.
What if it's cougar poop? ;-)
So graffiti is now acceptable. I thought I was just reading forums here that were complaining about graffiti in Ballard. I am glad to know it is now acceptable as I have some messages for some of you. So look to the sidewalks for my social directives and opinions. And don't you dare complain about it, because I will use utility paint that comes off in, what, a year maybe?
Get real, people. Spraypainting and McCarthyism isn't going to get folks to pick up their dog feces. If it's a problem near your house, leave a baggie-dispenser and a bucket.
“Placing an arrow pointing at the offender's home,” though proving your point, also likely qualifies as illegal intimidation. I do NOT want our local law-enforcement officers' time wasted on that kind of garbage. So don't do it.
as long as we get the punks doing all the graffiti some of this same utility paint, they can go around tagging whatever they want.
Perhaps someone can put up a little website with pictures of the miscreants. After all, it is not actually aa violation of anyone's privacy IF they are in public. (paparazzi. I rest my case.) Public shame has always been an effective deterrent to bad behavior.
Cause the “Geeky Ones” run the internet?
They run this website and violating their rules here would be impolite.
The graffiti definition is clearly subjective and only applies when it's written on or about things people like. otherwise, it's just plain awesome. can't you see how it all makes sense???
They run this blog. I was making the assumption the pics would be posted here. Thus violating the rules of this blog.
Where does one buy utility paint? I need some.
Awesome. Too many times I've stepped in other dogs' poop late at night when reaching down to pick up my own dog's business. I don't think there is a need to invade anyone's privacy, but a little washable paint that shames an unknown individual is a great idea.
Shames an unknown individual? That person doesn't feel shame the way humans do — we're talking about cretins, here.
On the other hand, the property owner gets insult added to injury — already their lawn got pooped on, and now they've got a bright orange circle. How are they going to wash paint out of grass?
I always pick up after my dog too…..a few years ago someone simply put signs up (around 61st by US bank) that said “scoop your poop it's the law”….i think that was more effective. But, I do like the spirit with which this action was taken…..
Could it be cougar poop?
I need to invest in a baggie dispenser (and presumably baggies) and a shovel so people don't leave dog crap outside my house? What is your address to send you the bill?
If spraypainting and McCarthyism won't work, how about a paintball gun? We can mark the owners instead of the street.
Ahhh… looks like my comment was deleted! Is because I used a euphanism for crappy?
i love it.
some dog owners are great and responsible and all that. some dog owners are gross pigs that leave turds wherever. really rude and selfish.
from my front window i can see the sidewalk and everu now and then i'll catch someone letting their dog run onto my lawn, frolick in my bushes and take a pee or poo. i looooove the expression on their face when i open the door and yell at them.
they seem truely insulted 1/2 the time, embarrassed the oth 1/2.
just pick it up lazy f$%&ers!
anyone can be photographed in places where “there is no reasonable expectation of privacy”. Some people have been photographed in their homes, but because the blinds were open, and they were visible from the street…
Maybe Ballard should have a flickr acc't or something.
BWAHAHAHAHA! McCarthyism…
If you are in public you can have your picture taken. You avail yourself of privacy when you leave your private quarters (except juveniles). This was evidenced in the REI ATM photo fiasco earlier this spring. Although the photographer likely made the situation worse by his attitude.
http://consumerist.com/5249853/loomis-rent+a+co…
just take a series of pics of them in the act and walking away from the steaming pile of poo and post it around the neighborhood.
We had some a-hole let his dog use our yard as a toilet bowl. I scooped it up watched him walk home and dumped it right on his front door. Never happened again. There's no excuse for not cleaning up after your dog – if I can clean up after my dog then you can do the same.
ZOMG folks, theres more than one website than myballard out there. and it aint MAGNOLIA VOICE, either.
Yes, but many blogs have the same rules. And, I already stated, I had assumed the pics were intended for this blog.
If someone leaves poop in my parking strip I cuss and swear for a minute, then I dispose of it. And then I go on with my day.
that is soooo awesome! i'll remember that forever!
Thanks for the link! I had wanted to read up on that incident.
I walk this area all the time (no dog, just me) and I know exactly where this is. You might be interested to know that is is right next to a building that appears to be inhabited by Quest employees. There are a bunch of Quest utility trucks in the parking lot.
I'm guessing that quest employees have access to utility marking paint. I can't say that I blame them for using it.
I'm assuming you mean Qwest? Not Quest (as in, Quest diagnostics).
Uh, yeah.
But you must admit that Qwest spelled it wrong first.
My favorite thing was a couple years back, when a clever person put tiny popsicle stick signs with George Bush's face on it in piles of poop they found. That cracked me up pretty good! I pick up random poop sometimes, most of which in my area is deposited by the dogs who now live in the new apts on 54th. Oh well, I just pick it up when I can.
Um…there isn't just blogs on the Internet. Theres these things…called websites…I know, its not very Web 2.0-ish. But at one point in time, you can just load up HTML onto a box with apache and go nuts.
Not really…
US West was attempting to be “futuristic” sounding, just like NYNEX/Bell Atlantic using Verizon (mixture of veritas and horizon).
keyboard kitty, these are people who can't figure out how to host a photo in the first place. A website is probably not in the cards.
play me off!
> At a glance, there are about 20 of these randomly-placed circles.
If the circles are drawn around piles of poop, their placement is not random.
On the other hand, if the circles were drawn first, and the poop came later, that's one hell of a coincidence.
http://www2.seattle.gov/util/forms/graffiti/gra…
http://www2.seattle.gov/util/forms/graffiti/gra…
No, that's a form of gambling in some places. Ever hear of a chicken drop?
aka Redneck Roulette?
Oh dear. Thank you so much for that pre-breakfast image.
But really, who can blame “Qwest” for broadening their business model in these trying times?
So, you're saying the responsibility to pick up after someones dog now lies with the person that owns a house and not the dog owner? Man, where is your sense of being responsible for your actions? These idiots that don't scoop won't respond to the “it's the nice thing to do for your neighborhood” argument. They don't care about anyone else but themselves.
Wow…after reading the comments here I'm glad I don't live in Ballard. I'm amazed at how many people are attacking the person that did this. It's obvious this person is fed up with people not caring about others and the city not doing anything about it. So, when they take matters into their own hands, it's called graffiti and property damage. Hmmm, what about the blight of dog crap all over your sidewalks and yards. You don't see anything wrong with that? Again, I'm glad I don't live in Ballard. Now I don't think I even want to visit and spend any money in your little neighborhood.