Heavy sigh as I begin this post…it’s about the ‘mutt mitts’ (plastic bags for doggie waste) provided by the Armour Hills Homes Assn in Arbor Villa Park. At our board meeting last week, a resident stopped by wondering when the supply would be replenished.  Board member Tiffany Moore did some investigation as to why the box is frequently empty.

A resident who lives near the park orders the mitts and stocks  the dispenser.   Armour Hills has been spending about $4500 per year on these plastic baggies. A shipment of 6400 mitts lasts…just 6 to 8 weeks.   Yes, we have lots of dog lovers in Armour Hills, and I’m sure residents of other neighborhoods use our mitts when walking their pets.  But I doubt that every person walking by is taking just one mitt…it’s obvious some folks are taking hundreds of  mitts for their personal ‘stash’.

What to do?  This is an issue the board will have  to discuss.  We want to provide this service  for our residents, and the occasional non-Armour Hills homeowner is welcome to take one if necessary.  But it’s hard to justify a $4500 annual expense when it’s obvious some people are just helping themselves to as many mitts as they can take with them. There are approximately 1200 homes in our subdivision–if every single homeowner had a dog that was walked twice each day, there’s no way 6400 mitts could be used in eight weeks’ time!

I don’t have a dog.  But if I did, I would appreciate having the convenience of a mutt mitt dispenser in the park when needed.  I hope  this service does not have to be discontinued because of a few selfish people who are stealing the supply.  However, Armour Hills residents should not subsidize the cost of doggie waste bags for those who feel entitled to abuse the service.