Dog Waste and Leashes

January 9, 2020

Neighbors, 

I am writing to you today to ask for your attention to and consideration of the dog population at Chinquapin. 

We have a constant issue with dogs not only off the leash but also with owners not picking up dog feces despite the fact that we have provided the community with as many dog waste bag dispensers and receptacles as we believe necessary. 

The dog population in communities around Lake Tahoe is estimated to be upwards of 10,000. Approximately half the households in the United States have at least one dog which means that half of your neighbors do not have a dog. 

Since the EPA estimates that 2 to 3 days of waste from 100 dogs can contribute enough bacteria and/or parasites to temporarily close a watershed to swimming or shell fishing, it is imperative that we use these receptacles and pick up the dog poop. Not only is this required by law but it is also a function of common courtesy and civic duty to the other half of the community that does not own a dog. 

Left on the ground some of the dog feces will wind up on your shoes, in your car, on the floor of your condo, and eventually will be dissolved and drained into Lake Tahoe. We are supposed to be the stewards of the Lake and protecting it is our civic duty. This contamination of the Lake is now being recognized in the Tahoe basin as problematic. Please note the attention given to it, for example, at the nearby Tahoe Nordic center. 

Leashing your dog and cleaning up after it should be automatic. If your dog is not on a leash, then you do not know where the poop is that is your duty to clean up. The rules of the condominium complex as well as Placer county law are that dogs be on a leash. 

Please use your leashes and the dog poop pickup bags. Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

Sincerely, 

Charles E. Quaglieri

President, Board of Directors Chinquapin Homeowners Association