With melting snow comes reminders of just how disrespectful a few pet owners can be.

It is against city ordinance to allow dogs to defecate without cleaning up after them or to allow accumulation of waste in yards. But in some areas around the lake and in public places where people like to walk their dogs, it’s starting to accumulate.

The dog waste is not just ugly to look at and smells bad, it poses a problem to environmental health by eventually leaching into the lakes. It sends a bad message to visitors. It’s awful when it gets stepped in. Nobody wants their children playing around it.

No one is required to clean up the waste that the owners should have, but didn’t. So it is up to the owners to take responsibility.

Obviously, when our local law enforcement officers have other matters of more pressing importance &045; like catching drug dealers, drunk drivers, thieves and vandals &045; they don’t have time to pursue dog owners who don’t clean up after their dogs.

They shouldn’t have to, anyway. It’s really a matter of common courtesy and common sense to carry a bag to clean up a pet’s mess.

So please, clean up after your pets.