Elizabeth Weis and Lutz
“This is toxic to dogs,” said Elizabeth Weis, speaking about household waste dumped in the greenbelt behind her home. “People don’t realize what they’re doing.”
Weis, who lives in the Oak Highlands neighborhood near Moss Park, says pets are drawn to the trash dumped in the shared area, especially remnants of grilled food and grease.
“On my walk this morning, I found charred foil and charcoal, alcohol so strong you could smell it just poured onto the grass, and an additional pile of grease. This is illegal dumping in the State of Texas.”
It appears, Weis said, that after dinner, instead of pouring their cooking oil down the drain, folks are dumping their grease into the grass out back. This City of Dallas has created an extensive educational ad campaign, called Cease the Grease, to discourage sending clogging oils down the drain.
“This waste is very dangerous for young children, dogs, and wildlife. It’s an ongoing problem here.”
Weis said her German Shepherd, Lutz, has experienced digestive problems caused, or at least exacerbated, by eating the fatty meats, charcoal pieces and charred foil dumped behind her home.
Greenbelt between Moss Haven and Moss Meadows
“The dogs go after the smell of the meat,” she said. “And we’re so careful at home to keep them out of our trash.”
And it isn’t just dogs.
“In this neighborhood, we have possums, rabbits, raccoons, birds, owls, squirrels, coyotes – these are hazards to all of them, especially the larger animals.”
Weis, who calls herself an educated dog owner and animal lover, says she wants to educate neighbors about the risks.
“I’ve also seen people dump chlorine and other leftover chemicals. These things are very harmful. I’m just asking people – please do not dump anything.”
“The reason we moved here was so Lutz could run up and down that greenbelt. He’s a great dog and he comes just like my children. I wish people could realize the impact of their dumping. It’s hurting us all.”
