To the mother/son pair in front of me on Queen Street Tuesday afternoon: um ... the Public Library flower bed ... is NOT your dog's toilet. Nor is any other bit of ground to be considered a dog toilet. When I moved to Halifax 6 years ago, there were virtually no dogs in the peninsula. In the last couple of years, the dog population has exploded--and so has their shit, and very publicly. What is it with all the shit-filled "doggy bags" on the sidewalk, on the grass verges, left on people's doorsteps, etc. Worse is the dogshit that is NOT in doggy bags. I'm also increasingly seeing dogs in retail and drug stores and cafes, snuffling and wiping their mouths on merchandise. IT IS DISGUSTING. Both behaviours should be dealt with as a public health issue: dogs WILL lick their filthy crotches and walk through their own and other dogs' shit 'cos they don't know any better (but their owners should), track it through the café or shop, Buddy strolls through it clearing a table or stock-taking, then tracks fecal bacteria back into the kitchen or behind the counter. Owners see Fido as a "member of the family." NO, Fido is an animal, and animals are dirty. —Tired of dogs in the 'hood