Tenant distraught as thoughtless neighbors create disgusting living conditions: 'It's just been escalating'

In most cities, local ordinances require dog owners to collect and dispose of their pets' feces. If not made essential by the town, apartment complexes or homeowners associations have rules on the matter. 

Some pet owners, however, ignore these rules, which are a matter of common decency. 

One Redditor expressed concern for their apartment, where resident pet owners leave pet waste all around the complex's outdoor common spaces.

"No one in my complex picks up their dog poop," the poster complained.

They shared a series of unappealing photos of feces on dirt, gravel, and even in a fenced-in playground area. The original poster pays $2,000 a month to live surrounded by hazardous waste. 

"This problem happened about a year ago and it's just been escalating. The air once you step outside reeks," they said. 

Cockroaches and mice roam the apartment complex, attracted to the unsafe litter. The apartment complex has taken no steps to stop this problem, prompting the original poster to consider breaking their lease. 

When feces sit undisposed of in outdoor spaces, human health is threatened. 

According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine journal, contamination of pet feces in urban streets is a public health concern, as they contain microorganisms that may be pathogenic to humans. Studies suggest the bacteria in the feces are antibiotic-resistant.

Wild animal feces, in contrast, are not a hazard, as they are already naturally integrated into the ecosystem, the City of Bothell said. Dog waste is considered human-created pollution because humans have the ability, but perhaps not the motivation, to pick up after their pets.

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The waste can enter waterways and takes a long time to decompose, causing bacteria and pathogens to linger for extended periods of time. It is for this reason that the waste at the Reddit poster's apartment complex has been left unmoved for so long.

Commenters on the Reddit post were disgusted with the state of the living space.

One, aware of the health risks, advised, "Call the health department."

Another said: "I'd move. That's gross."

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