The postal station and neighborhood pool nearest me is the one in Tamarind Grove. Behind the mailbox and pool areas is a large grassy area with several beautiful and mature oak trees. And the area backs up to privately owned pasture land. Many people walk their dogs there. I go there daily at various times to pick up my mail and it seems there is always some one there with a dog. The area is well landscaped with hedges and many azelias and other flowering shrubs.
Yet despite its apparent popularity with dog owners the grass is generally green and I have yet to notice in two years any dead or dying shrubs. I think the notion that dog pee kills landscape plants is greatly exaggerated.
I live in a courtyard villa and 99 percent of my dog's outdoor time in in my own fenced back yard. And the grass and shrubs there are doing just fine, thank you very much.

Just to let you know that this thread has entertained me but my neck is getting sore from shaking my head...

I think it's not so much damage to the grass and shrubs as much as it is the attitude of entitlement some of the culprits show....entitled to do whatever they darn well please, wherever they please.

That attitude is arrogant and condescending toward people who do not want manure left in their front yard or at the mail station, pool lawn etc.

I don't think anyone here would tolerate neighbors bagging their own human waste and bringing it to dump in another person's front yard, so why should uncollected dog waste left in the yard be any more acceptable??

The key to your post is "Behind the mailbox and pool areas is a large grassy area". That's OK, but not the grassy areas between shuffle board courts near the mailboxes, and other areas that people walk thru with sandals.

I applaud you for doing your part. Wish others would follow your lead. Keep up the good work. BTW I've had dogs in the other places where I've lived.

Thanks Pammy and Oot for these pleasant words of wisdom. :agree:

"We all have to share this world and get along - pick your battles for what is really important. Life is precious - enjoy it while you are here."

does any dog walker here realize how gut-wrenching it is to be sitting on one's street-facing lanai enjoying a meal and/or a beverage and have a dog come onto the property, leave a deposit and then hafta watch the walker pick up the deposit? it's disgusting - accident or not!

Yes you are correct, public right of way. But we can't do ANYTHING we want on those public rights of way, can we? And I don't think the mail boxes are public right of way - I would think that is CDD property. Sidewalks are probably right of way.

I was going to start another subject on this. In what world is a cigarette butt not littering? Stupid thing to do and dirty, dirty.

Russ thanks for the topic tho it's been out there many time before, as a newbie I learned that many dog people don't know how to control their dog's location. Worse, many don't care where the dog chooses to go.
I already knew that a lot of us are responsible, respectful and aware that the world is not our dog's bathroom as the dog naturally thinks it is.

I hope owners will consider getting a short leash and training the dog to walk at your side. That's really all it takes. The logic is, if the dog has to walk beside you and you don't walk in disallowed places, the dog will be unable to go there.
If you must walk through a no poop zone, pick up the pace and the dog won't have time to squat or pick up a leg.
Help is available through Cesar Milan's tv shows on nat geo wild or online.

No, we can't do ANYTHING on public right-of-way, but if you're hoping for dog owners...who use bags to pick up the dog droppings...to stop allowing their dog to use the public right-of-way, you're simply setting yourself up for disappointment. It ain't gonna happen.

You two both make a lot of sense to me.

Currently there are only three tiny dog parks provided by The Villages, obviously not enough for our growing canine population. More dog parks would solve a lot of problems, for dog owners and dog haters alike. Since there are thousands of dogs living in The Villages, doesn't it make sense to provide somewhere to walk them, where they could get off-leash exercise?

When I suggest more dog parks, I usually get an outcry of "Don't use my amenity money to pay for dog parks because I don't have a dog". Well, think about it. Many of us cheerfully pay for tennis courts, pool tables, pickleball courts, baseball diamonds and many golf courses, who don't use those facilities. And many snowbirds live in TV for the winter and happily pay amenities for twelve months. I'd like to think that we could all respect each others' hobbies. It's all for the greater good.

One of the reasons I bought here, besides all that TV has to offer, were the following:
1. Very family friendly
2. Pet friendly
It is obvious that there are many pet owners and it is also obvious there aren't many fences. Just about everyone keeps their pets on a leash and they pick up after the animals.
If it really bothers some, can you say you didn't see that it was pet friendly? I googled non pet friendly communities and I couldn't find any, just landlords that do not want pets. Maybe there is a need for a no pets allowed village. I am not sure what the resale value would be. Are we just venting, or is it really an issue. There are properties outside Tv that are on big pieces of land where you won't have to deal with walking where a dog uses the bathroom, or have to watch dog owners picking up feces. When you buy in a place like this, be prepared, it is all part of sharing spaces. Really? We are going to take the time to designate a right of way area that would be appropriate?
Do you count how many times birds and squirrels unload on your property!
Dogs are wonderful living creatures that can bring love, joy, and companionship!

:MOJE_whot::clap2::BigApplause::a040::wave::agree:

The Villages are filled with pets. Pets pee and it doesn't affect the grass. People, who care, pick up after their dogs and throw it away at home.
The Villages are filled with golf courses. Balls land on others property. People, who care, pick up their balls and play them off of private property.
We knew this moving in.