Growing problems: Dog poop, cigarette butts, litter

LEWISTON — Dog poop. It's a serious problem. So are cigarette butts and litter.

Dog owners, smokers and park lovers could do a better job keeping the outdoors clean, public works employees say.

When it comes to dog poop, athletes on the fields land in it and children playing in the park step in it, said Lewiston Public Works' Mike Bernier, who's in charge of maintaining the city's athletic fields and green spaces.

“People taking their dogs out, they're not picking it up,” Bernier said. “It seems to be getting worse. If you have any children on an athletic field, they're playing a game, they catch a ball and land right on dog crap.”

His crews mow and groom the fields. Often a worker is weed whacking and doesn't see the dog poop in the grass. “He has his head down,” Bernier said. “Boom! It's getting sprayed.” (Eeewww.)

It's illegal to not pick up dog waste, and people guilty of the crime are subject to fines. “I wish the Police Department had time, but they're responding to calls.”

Steve Murch, Lewiston's arborist, also said that dog waste is a growing problem in the city's downtown green spaces and flower gardens.

“We make a huge effort to make the intersections look nice with flower beds,” Murch said. But some dog owners use flower gardens “as a giant litter box,” he said. Dogs often wipe their paws after they've done their business, which is normal dog behavior, but it tears up flowers and soil. “Piles of feces are everywhere,” Murch said.

Second and third to dog waste are cigarette butts and litter.

Too many people, sometimes motorists at intersections, use city flower gardens “