CORONADO -- Beautiful Coronado is known as the "Crown City" with its amazing views and homes.
But even residents aren't immune to dog poop in their yards and sidewalks.
"Our grandson, we threw away his shoes the other day because it was just so disgusting,” said resident Beckey Smiser.
Smiser and her neighbor, David Gardner, live on the side of J Avenue that seems to be getting hit the most, and only in the last couple of months.
"They just pay no attention to what their dog is doing. They're either jogging or speed walking,” said Smiser.
And she thinks that because it’s not just one piece of poop -- it's an entire trail, sometimes 20 feet long, left behind on the sidewalk right in front of her home.
"With the rain, it was really bad,” said Smiser.
Gardner has also had to deal with this mess.
"It almost looks like someone was tugging their dog while it was doing its business," he said. "There were blops all the way down the sidewalk."
Gardner snapped a picture of the poop trail and posted it on social media. More than 90 people replied sharing their frustration over people who don't pick up after their dogs. His kids would step on it when they’d play with his neighbor’s kids in their front yard.
"And they come home all the time with poop on their shoes and on their pants,” said Gardner. He and his neighbor don’t have dogs. But he says he likes pets.
Smiser and her husband tried to catch the irresponsible dog owner in action.
“My husband has been getting up and sitting up in the car in the morning,” said Smiser.
But they had no luck. So, they took it a step further and set up a surveillance camera. But so far, they have had no luck because it appears the person not picking up after their dog is coming just before sunrise and their camera doesn't pick up things well in the dark.
"But we can see it...the aftermath,” said Smiser.
Dog poop is the #3 cause for water pollution. It's bad on real grass. But it's especially bad on fake grass since you have to use a special cleanser to get rid of stains and odors. The Environmental Protection Agency says dog poop is as toxic to the environment as chemical and oil spills.
And not picking up after your dog is against the law. The fine for the first offense is up to $100. For the second violation, it’s $200. And the fine is up to $500 for the third offense.
“I think everyone would agree it's nasty,” said Gardner.
It's yet another reason why we shouldn't be texting while we're walking on a sidewalk. You just never know what you'll step on.
