Breakheart chair seething over dog droppings

SAUGUS – Ed Murray is ready to draw a line in the sand over dog droppings.The Chairman of the Friends of Breakheart Reservation is once again at his wits end regarding dog walkers and what he sees as the ultimate lack of respect – failure to clean up after their pets.”We have bags, we have barrels,” Murray said. “It doesn’t seem to matter.”The park provides plastic bags at both entrances to the park, as well as at Bark Place, a designated dog run. Murray said it has had little effect.He calls the majority of dog walkers “100 yard visitors,” because they stroll 50-yards into the park, let their dogs do their business, and stroll the 50-yards back out.And they aren’t even cagey or embarrassed about it, he said.”During maple sugaring last year one (went) right next to my foot,” he said.When he asked the owner if he planned on cleaning up after his canine friend, the man asked him, “Why?”Murray said he was so incredulous he didn’t know how to answer the man.Since then, Murray has hung a series of new posters featuring “Earl,” Murray’s own basset hound.On the posters, Earl explains the importance of cleaning up after pets and claims dogs would do it themselves if they were able.On a more serious note, the posters also explain the importance of cleaning up after pets because it contains life-threatening microorganisms.”It’s not just Breakheart either,” Murray said. “I have a friend that lives near Stocker Field . . . it’s like landmines there.”Murray said other than handing out flyers and keeping the plastic bag dispensers full, he’s at a loss as to how to handle the problem.”It’s just amazing to me that people don’t care,” he said. “Why would anyone think it’s OK not to clean up after your pets?”