'We Do Not Let our Kids Poop on the Trail and Not Clean it Up'

If you see something you’d like to discuss with your neighbors, e-mail nicole.ball@patch.com. 

Branford resident Donna King is publically taking issue with dog owners who she thinks don’t take responsibility for their pets while using the Supply Pond trails. “A group of moms get together every week to go on [a] hike at the ponds.  We run into the same issues every single week,” she wrote in an e-mail to Patch:

1. A kid or an adult falls/steps into poo – this is very disgusting and frustrating!

2. Dogs running full speed at the kids, which can be very scary for a child and an adult. These dogs are right at their face level.

3. Dog owners not taking responsibility for their dogs when they let them run loose.

4. Leaving bags of poop all throughout the trail.

King shared a recent experience that finally prompted her to contact Patch:

"My son, 5-week-old daughter, and I went hiking there a couple of weeks ago.  A dog came charging at us barking. I don't know if this dog is friendly or not.  So I start yelling for the owner of the yellow golden to please come get their dog. Nothing. No one came. The dog then proceeded to jump on my 2-year-old son as he screamed in terror. Me holding my newborn (screaming) trying to pick up my screaming 2 year old as I am still yelling for this owner to show him/herself.  She finally comes to claim the dog and says how nice her dog is and how she would not hurt a fly. She did not apologize or take the dog away. She kept trying to convince me how nice her dog was. Mind you, I was still holding the screaming newborn and toddler.  And then we had to end our hike early since he [toddler] fell into a nice pile of poop, face first!  This is not uncommon, this happen almost every week.”

King said she doesn’t let her kids poop on the trails so she’s not sure why dog owners allow it. She’s concerned that dog owners act as though they own the Supply Pond.

The park is managed by the Branford Parks & Open Space Commission and they are familiar with stories like King’s. Back in March, Patch contacted Ainsley Highman of Branford's Parks & Open Space Committee inquiring if a trash receptacle would be placed in the park for owners to deposit pet wast? At the time, he said the committee was looking into it. The reason the receptacles were removed in the past, was vandalism he stated. 

Officially, dogs are permitted on the trails and the committee suggests that owners use a leash, but there are no leash laws for the Supply Pond trails. 

What are your thoughts? Do you have issues using the trails?