Hey, there! Log in / Register

Citizen complaint of the day: Unshoveled sidewalks are hard on dogs from warmer climes

A concerned pet-owning citizen in Brighton posts a photo of a barely holding it together dog on an icy sidewalk:

This small 95 lb pony/dog is barely able to walk on the treacherous conditions on this sidewalk. He is also afraid of snow and cold because he is from Oklahoma.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 
Free tagging: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

It's never too cold to stop and sniff EVERY DAMNED pee spot and footprint and lightpost and mailbox and fence and utility box.

up
Voting closed 0

Yes! My dog also has to smell every potential spot intently before deciding if it is worthy of being eliminated on by her...weather conditions do not matter when they are busy with these matters, it has to be just the right location!

up
Voting closed 0

Maybe you shouldn't be so cruel/selfish by making a southern dog live in the northeast.

up
Voting closed 0

So, it's better to leave the dogs in the high-kill shelters rather than so "cruelly and selfishly" bringing them up to the northeast to live in homes where people care for them?

Let me know what your address is so I can send you a dollar to help you go buy a clue.

up
Voting closed 1

Save that dollar and buy some reading glasses.

Nowhere did Bossguy mention letting dogs live in high-kill shelters. I also highly doubt Bossguy is introducing dogs to one another and making them produce more puppies.

up
Voting closed 0

So the only two options are living in high-kill shelters or in the frigid northeast? Pretty sure people in the South keep dogs as pets, and I'm pretty sure there are dogs that love the cold.

up
Voting closed 0

He is also afraid of snow and cold because he is from Oklahoma.

According to Weather.com, it is 19° F in Tulsa as I write this.

up
Voting closed 0

...of 51°.

up
Voting closed 0

Originally, anyway, but I never remember him being "scared" of the cold or snow.
Certain kinds of ice-melting chemicals though are murder on his paws. so walking him this time of year is a constant game of dodge the salt-piles.
And yes, I've tried the booties, and no he's not willing to wear them.

up
Voting closed 0

Same here with my born-and-bred-in-Massachusetts dog - she won't wear booties (hates even having her paws handled; trimming her nails is torture) but the salt burns her paws something awful. Also, the older she gets (13 now) the more the cold gets to her - she used to be pretty much impervious to cold, but now she needs a coat if the temperature is much below 30.

up
Voting closed 0

It's a natural wax that applies to the dogs paws to keep salt and sand out.

up
Voting closed 0

But like Allstonian above, he seems to think that any handling of his paws is torture covered by the geneva convention, and he just doesn't seem to believe us when we tell him it's for his own good.

He also has arthritis in his paws (is 17 now) and licks them a lot, so we're worried about him ingesting whatever gets on his paws. When we take him out in salted areas, he gets a quick trip to the bathtub to rinse them off, but I think getting the wax off would require more scrubbing (but on the other hand might be lick- resistant).

up
Voting closed 0

Get a hunk of bees' wax at the hardware store. Melt it; mix in some salad oil (maybe half and half) to thin it down and make it easier to apply, pour it into a jar and let it cool. Smear some on your dog's paws before going out in the salt. Or you could just buy paw wax at the pet store. Great stuff.

up
Voting closed 0

Musher's secret has worked pretty well for my dog. You still have to dodge salt, but she seems happier when it's on. No more bloody paws!

My only problem with the boots is keeping them on.

up
Voting closed 1

Why is that marked "resolved" when the sidewalk is still unshoveled? I cut through that street at noon today and it looked just like that.

up
Voting closed 0

Thought not. Case resolved :-).

up
Voting closed 0

..saying the unsolved walk was difficult for the dog. They needed to say that it was difficult for the elderly, the handicapped, or parents with strollers or toddlers. The city responds to sidewalk complaints specifically mentioning the difficulties a dangerous sidewalk presents for those citizens.

(Though i suspect the complainant was just trying to bring a little levity to a legit complaint.)

And, the city may have ticketed the owner who just hasn't shoveled yet.

up
Voting closed 0

Boston code enforcement officer issued ticket, failure to remove snow violation. now it's up to owner to shovel. I saw the officer yesterday, they take pictures of sidewalk as proof..and the property was # 6 not #12

up
Voting closed 0