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Responsibilities getting pooped on

AT RANDOM: Local trails and outdoor spaces are getting shit on
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Dog owners who aren’t cleaning up after their pets on the Okanagan Rail Trail are causing a stink. (Morning Star file photo)

Now that the deathly grip of winter has loosened, spring is flooding in. And with it, the doors of outdoor opportunity are flying open.

There’s nothing like the sunshine to thaw us out of hibernation and into the great outdoors. Lucky for us in the Okanagan the opportunities are endless, whether you’re wanting to head out for a walk, hike, run or bike.

There are countless numbers of trails available for such activities, in all shapes and sizes across this great valley. The Okanagan Rail Trail has already become a highly popular destination, despite not yet officially being open to the public.

Sadly with that popularity, the trail is also already being abused.

Dog owners are the No. 1 culprit, not picking up after their four-legged friends, or worse-yet littering the trail with doggy bags - yes, owners go to the trouble of taking doggy bags and actually picking up after their animals, but then fail to properly dispose of them, and just leave the steaming little bags along the trail for someone else to clean up. And someone else has been cleaning up.

Since there are no trail maintenance crews that go along cleaning up, some nearby residents and trail enthusiasts have taken it upon themselves to clean up after lazy dog owners. These are dedicated individuals who are fearful that a few bad apples are going to spoil something great for everyone - meaning if the mess isn’t cleaned up, dogs could be banned from the trail altogether.

It’s not a new problem, it’s one that exists in virtually every trail, park, open space, back road and front yard around. And it’s not just a few bad dog owners, it’s thoughtless litter bugs too.

People who are too lazy to dispose of their garbage properly are dumping on our earth - including discarding cars and even dead dogs in the back country.

So others are left with the messy job of cleaning up. But instead of spending their efforts on these completely avoidable tasks, they could be spending time improving trails and outdoor recreational areas.

Over on the BX Creek trail, bridges and platforms are falling apart (mostly due to the weather). It’s up to the local municipality to maintain trails, but crews are busy with numerous tasks and there are only so many dollars to spend on parks and recreation annually.

As the region continues to grow with both residents and visitors, the problems will only increase. It’s up to each of us to do our part to keep these amenities pristine and in good shape for all.

Picking up after ourselves, and our pets, is the least we can do.