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Editorial: The Squamish poop problem

Resolve to keep Squamish clean in the new year: Addressing the dog poop problem.

Many of us will soon be bleating out an alcohol-fuelled rendition of Auld Lang Syne at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

The ancient Scottish poem is about two friends catching up over a pint and reminiscing.

In  Squamish, old friends catching up might reminisce about a time when dog poop bags didn’t sully their beautiful hometown. 

The new year is a time to reset.

As a community of pet lovers, let’s resolve that we will be less, well, shitty!

The dog deposit situation has gotten out of control. 

It is gross, and rude.

Case in point, recently, the folks at the Squamish Valley Golf Club put up a social media post showing piles of dog excrement and human footprints on the grass beside a sign that says, “Please keep off the grass.” 

That grass will likely die over the winter, the post states, thus requiring re-seeding and further maintenance. Adding insult to injury, staff had to scoop Fido’s poop. 

“We are OK with people walking the trails on the course. We are not OK with people walking on the grass and people leaving dog [crap] behind. Don’t be like these people, please,” the post reads. 

The Squamish Valley Golf Club generously allows us to walk on their trails during the off-season. This is a privilege for many who enjoy the beauty and walkability of those trails. 

Unlike many areas in the corridor, these paths are perfect for all ages and abilities. Many locals bring visitors for a gentle stroll to showcase the majestic beauty of the river, mountains and trees without having to drive far or hike hard.

The club doesn’t have to allow this access, and if those who abuse the privilege don’t stop, the administration at the club could get fed up and revoke the privilege. 

Of course, the golf course isn’t the only part of town where the gift bags of shite are left. 

Local Steve Shard recently snapped six pics of dog bags that he took in less than five minutes along a section of Government Road.

It looks like a pooch piñata of poop exploded above the region, leaving fecal “candy” everywhere.

There is genuinely no excuse for our town to be like this. It is pure entitlement. 

These dog owners don’t want to carry the trash to their own homes, so they leave it for the rest of us. 

The good news is that no resolution is easier to keep. 

All you have to do is scoop the poop and deposit the fecal goody bag into a trash can—preferably your own at home. 

Forget the poop pockets at home, and your fur child does its business? Go home, get a bag and go back and do your duty. 

This will make a less crappy 2024 for us all. 

Happy New Year!

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