BILLINGS - A citizen wrote in to Mayor Bill Cole about concerns with people not picking up after their dogs at the Shiloh Conservation Area.
The mayor checked it out himself, saw the problem and he also shares that concern.
"This situation is the worst it has ever been," the citizen wrote anonymously to the mayor and city council. "Many dog owners do not care about the unsightly and stomach-turning mess."
"A concerned citizen was complaining about the amount of dog droppings around the Shiloh Conservation area," Cole said. "This is such a beautiful area. It's just a shame."
In the letter, the citizen also encouraged the mayor and council to take a walk on the trail.
The mayor did that and spent an hour at the Shiloh Conservation Area, cleaning up after other people's dogs.
"People need to pick up after their pets," he said. "The city doesn't have the resources to go behind everybody and do that kind of job. So we've all got to pitch in and we all got to pick up after our pets and it's not just pet droppings. It's also litter. We can do so much better in keeping our community clean."
Billings City code Sec. 4-307 states: "The owner, keeper or custodian of every animal shall immediately retrieve and remove all excreta deposited by his or her animal while off the owner's/keeper's property."
Cole also reminds residents about the leash law.
According to theNational Institutes of Health, dog waste can be a health issue.
"I'm no expert but common sense says it doesn't help," Cole said. "And a place like the Shiloh Conservation Area is intended to act as a filter for our water."
Cole left his tools at the conservation area for others to use.
"Together we can make all of our parks that much cleaner that much more enjoyable in Billings," Cole said.
He also has concerns of graffiti all around Billings and asks for help from citizens.
