Dog Owners Beware
I was talking to another dog owner yesterday about the article in this week's Journal about the hypodermic needles that Alderman Provost has been finding in her neighborhood and around the city ("Alderman finds dirty needles"). The dog owner remarked that when she is out with her dog, she occasionally finds needles, too. She said that she carefully picks up the syringe using a plastic bag (which, as a dog owner, she always has on hand), smooshes the needle against a tree, and takes the needle home to dispose of it in a coffee can.
The Journal article underscores the risk that my friend is taking by handling these biohazards:
Police Lt. Paul Upton said there is a danger of being infected by disease when handling dirty hypodermic needles.Upton said residents should call police to handle the needles, but if forced to pick up a needle to protect children, residents should use "some type of barrier between the syringe and their skin—like a glove—and they should never touch the sharp end."
Needless to say (no pun intended), a plastic bag hardly offers protection against the risk to responsible dog owners of being pricked by a dirty needle. Maybe we need to start carrying surgical gloves with us, too.
A question for the authorities: if a dog owner calls the police to report that she found a needle in a city park, will she get a ticket for having her dog in the park?