I applaud your article in the July 23 issue of the Moorpark Acorn.

I take my walks almost every day through the beautiful Mountain Meadows area and Deauville homes. Everywhere is the proof of irresponsible dog owners who allow their dogs to foul the footpaths and grass verges that so picturesquely line our lovely streets.

Shame on the dog owners, for you know who you are. You leave the mess to be cleaned up by the infrequent rain, to be washed down to drains and to pollute the water. You leave the mess for the poor gardeners who make your community property so beautiful. Shame on you again.

Then, worse still, you allow your dogs to leave their mess on my front lawn and you walk away without a guilty conscience.

If I see you on my walks without a plastic bag, pooper scooper, or some form of cleaning up the mess that is likely to be made, I will ask you where your bag and scooper are.

Would you like it if it were thrown into your yard? If I see your dog actually being allowed to make the mess, and you walk away without removing it, I will approach you, introduce myself, ask your name, and then politely ask you to remove the mess or I will report you because, as the article in the Acorn said, "It is against the law."

Please be more conscientious and consider your neighbors, the beautiful environment and the lovely town you live in. You have paid a lot of money to live in this great area. (I have lived in it for 16 years.) Please respect it and don’t give a bad name to the many conscientious dog owners who do pick up after their pets.

Laureen Hart

Moorpark