MISSION VIEJO : Poop Patrol Out to Curb Dog Owners

The day was coming to an end at Lake Mission Viejo as Aldo Ramirez strolled along the shoreline with his wife, admiring a fiery red sunset.

The Ramirezes were about to stop to watch the sun drop below the horizon but took one step too many.

“I walked right into a mound of dog droppings,” Ramirez said. “Needless to say, it was disgusting.”

Like 21 other Orange County cities, Mission Viejo contracts with the county to deal with stray animals and other animal-control problems. Now, responding to many complaints similar to that made by Ramirez, the city has asked the county to assign a “poop patrol” to enforce its dog-curbing law.

Orange County Animal Control and Animal Shelter Services “is responsible for a lot of things,” Assistant City Manager Danian Hopp said. “Cleaning up after our curbing ordinance is now one of them.”

On Monday night, the City Council ruled that if within 90 days the animal-control officers don’t prove to be a deterrent to dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets, the city will spend $5,000 to install trash cans and “Dispoz-A-Scoops” poop-scooper dispensers at the lake.

“What we’re trying to do is get some (dog owners’) habits changed,” Councilwoman Susan Withrow said. “The easier you make it for them, the more likely change will happen. And this is a relatively inexpensive way to do that.”

The county animal-control division estimates the county dog population at about 200,000. About half a dozen times each month, the county gets a complaint directly from a citizen about failure of owners to clean up after their dogs.

“We send animal-control officers mainly as a deterrent,” said Lt. Kevin Whelan, a spokesman for the department. “Our presence out there encourages people to take care of business.”

In Mission Viejo, the fine for not picking up after a dog is $50. However, the enforcement officers generally issue a warning first and then will write a citation if the dog owner refuses to dispose of the evidence.

“It’s surprising, but sometimes people will say, ‘Hey, why should I?’ or ‘I didn’t bring anything to clean it up with’ or ‘I pay my taxes, so park personnel should take care of it,’ ” Whelan said.

Responding to several complaints about recalcitrant pooch owners, the City Council passed a dog-curbing ordinance last year. But the law was almost entirely ignored by dog owners, and the council did not take further action until a new wave of complaints reached City Hall last month.

According to the Ramirezes, their evening stroll had become more like an obstacle-course run.

“It’s pretty bad sometimes,” Ramirez said. “You’ve got to keep your eyes on the ground and be ready to hop quick.”

About half an hour after Ramirez’s unlucky step at the lake, Danielle Miller’s pet schnauzer, Fritzie, trotted by. Unleashed, the dog went from tree to tree, pausing occasionally to sniff their trunks.

“I never knew about any ordinance. I mean, there are no signs or anything,” Miller said. “I hate to leash Fritzie and carry around a paper bag, but I guess I’ll have to do it now.”