Brickell Homeowners Association

From BHA News, Winter 2009

Canine Courtesy: Residents Urge Program Encore

BHA's Canine Courtesy Program was launched in fall 2007 in partnership with Miami Police, Officer Jeff Giordano and NET Administrator Liza Walton. The program combined education and enforcement. BHA funded off-duty police officers who monitored the neighborhood on foot, passing out informational flyers and citing those residents who did not comply. Liza Walton led the outreach and communications to building and property managers in the area so they could help spread the word and raise awareness that owners are required to pick up after their dogs.

The program was successful in educating residents, most felt at the time. The officers who worked the shift (not really a popular off-duty gig), reported people changing their ways and being aware that there was a "police presence" on the matter. The officers watched dog owners notice the off-duty cop, and find "whatever" to pick up after their pooping pet.

The real human trick, of course, is to get this behavior on a regular, unmonitored basis.

BHA is funding the program again in 2009. Dog owners with pooping pooches: Don't forget your doggie bag!

From BHA News, Winter 2008

Canine Courtesy Pilot a success

BHA's Canine Courtesy Program, launched with the assistance of Miami Police Department Officer Jeff Giordano and NET Administrator Liza Walton in the fall, was successful in educating residents about picking up waste after their dogs. More buildings are installing the baggie dispensers by their exits to assist their dog owners, after BHA met with right-of-way and legal hurdles to installing them throughout the neighborhood. BHA funded a pilot of off-duty police officers monitoring the neighborhood on foot, passing out informational flyers and citing those few residents who did not comply.

Commenting on the change in attitude and behavior he saw over time since he himself manned many of the patrol shifts, Officer Jeff Giordano said: "Once the people know you're out there and writing tickets, it's amazing what they'll find to pick up waste with." Handkerchiefs, the day's unread sports page, nothing is spared to stave off a ticket!

From BHA News Summer 2007

Canine Courtesy: Enforcement, education to be key in effort

The BHA Task Force for Canine Courtesy headed by Claudia Bruce and hugely assisted by NET Administrator Liza Walton investigated getting disposal bags and receptacles installed along Brickell Avenue in the continuing quest to improve the situation for walkers, joggers and other residents running across dog waste on the public sidewalks and greenways.

A myriad of roadblocks make getting the dispensers installed impossible, even if the association were to pick up the tab for their purchase. Instead, properties are being encouraged to do as the Four Seasons Residences and other condos have done, and make the bags available to residents on their way out of the buildings for dog walks.
The combination of education (signs) and enforcement (police writing citations for those who violate the ordinance and do not pick up after their pets) will be used.

The letter reprinted here is being sent to Property Managers to share with their residents.

Reprinted from BHA News, Spring 2001
The Latest Scoop
It's the current annoyance in Miami-Dade: pet owners who don't clean up after their pets. Key Biscayne is considering adding a rule to the books requiring "poop scooping." Some areas, like Miami Beach, already have this law, and most people, reportedly, abide by it.

The BHA has been fielding some complaints about the issue in our neighborhood recently, and turned to Miami Police Officer Jeffrey Giordano for some insight. If common courtesy doesn't prevail, isn't there a law about the unsightly and unhealthy matter?

"There is a Miami-Dade County ordinance on the books, and while City of Miami Police could issue citations under this ordinance, it isn't being enforced." Officer Giordano reported.

As clearly stated in official County laws, Article II. Dogs, Section 5.5, entitled "Permitting dogs to defecate, etc. on public or common property:"
It shall be unlawful for a responsible party to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care or control, any such dog to commit any nuisance upon the sidewalk of any public street; or upon the floor of any common hall in any apartment house, tenement house, hotel or other multiple dwelling;' or upon any entranceway, stairway or wall immediately abutting on a public sidewalk, or upon the floor of any theatre, shop, store, office building or other building used in common by the public. 'Nuisance,' for the purpose of this section, shall be defined as defecation and/or urination."

"It would be a 'civil infraction,'" Officer Giordano explained, "with a fine of $50 for the first offense. But, he doesn't foresee City of Miami Police enforcing it in the future," he said.

The Brickell Key Master Association is considering hiring off-duty officers to enforce the "nuisance" ordinance as well as another ordinance that prohibits dogs from being allowed to roam free and not on leashes.

Other communities, instead of focusing on enforcement, have tried to make cleaning up after the dogs easier with scooper dispensers and waste receptacles to facilitate the process.

What do you think is right for the Brickell neighborhood? Email or mail your comments to the BHA.