Discussions

I have been thinking of posting this for awhile now. After talking with several other dog owners who have noticed the same thing, I think it's time to say something.  
 
I walk my yellow lab several times each day throughout my neighbourhood and I am constantly seeing in locations where dogs habitually walk, or go to pee. It's really bad lately.  
 
Lately, I have seen Ritz crackers sprinkled at one location, potato chips at another. In the past, I have seen piece of meat, weiners, sausages, bones, sandwiches, chicken wings, even open cans of cat food, in places where you don't expect to see them.  
 
You look at the stuff and ask yourself: what possible reason could there be for weiners to be where every dog in the neighbourhood goes pee? What are the odds that somebody accidentally dropped their weiners at such a location? What are the chances that some pet-lover is leaving treats for the neighbourhood dogs?  
 
If you walk your dog in the dark, as I often do, you know that your dog can get stuff in his mouth, chewed and swallowed, before you even realize that there was something there. Just try to get a piece of meat out of the mouth of 130 lb dog in the dark - it's impossible.  
 
I try not to be paranoid, but there have been several cases of dog poisoning in Canada in the past few years, caused by poisoned food being left for dogs to eat (weiners stuffed with pills in them is very common).  
 
I don't know if this is happening in Brandon or not, and I hope I'm not being paranoid, but, if you love your dog, be very careful. Just in case. There simply is no easy explanation for the amount of food that I am seeing in places where dogs walk.  
 
If you love dogs and are leaving treats for them - or if you eat chicken wings while walking and just drop them when they're done - please stop. Most pet owners aren't starving their pets. Leave the treat-giving to the pet's owner, okay?