Anonymous wrote:I volunteer for a program to clear snow for those who can't do it themselves. They give out free generic bags of ice melt to volunteers. But since we had NO snow last winter, I have some leftover from last year and plan to use it on my own pathway. (I have a new bag for this years less-able residents)

It doesn't say "pet safe" anywhere on the bag. I don't want dogs to get harmed, but truthgully most of their owners are kind of jerks themselves (let their dogs pee on my yard, use long leashes, etc). Does generic ice melt really hurt the paws of dogs considerably more than the "pet safe?"

It does. The salt burns their feet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very thoughtful of you, OP, but use the ice melt and don't worry. Unless there is a neighborhood-wide requirement to use pet safe materials, they will just walk from your portion of safe sidewalk to regular sidewalk 50 feet later. And then cross the road with township salt caked on it. It's on the pet owners to keep their pets safe, not on random neighbors.

I disagree. If you knowingly put things that harm animals that's on you. If I am walking my dog wouldn't it be nice if someone thought of others instead of themselves?

I wish dog owners thought of others instead of themselves. I mean 5% of dog owners do, but 95% seem to have total disregard for others.

This. The world does not revolve around them and their dogs.

Even if 75% of the houses used pet safe ice melt, a dog owner would never know which one does and which doesn't. Either everyone decides to switch, or it doesn't matter.

Yep, this. People are so rude with their dogs and expect the rest of the world to cater to them. Nope nope nope.

We don't have pets so we don't use pet-safe stuff. I didn't know it existed but I'm not going to buy it. I'm not laying down cyanide.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very thoughtful of you, OP, but use the ice melt and don't worry. Unless there is a neighborhood-wide requirement to use pet safe materials, they will just walk from your portion of safe sidewalk to regular sidewalk 50 feet later. And then cross the road with township salt caked on it. It's on the pet owners to keep their pets safe, not on random neighbors.

I disagree. If you knowingly put things that harm animals that's on you. If I am walking my dog wouldn't it be nice if someone thought of others instead of themselves?

I wish dog owners thought of others instead of themselves. I mean 5% of dog owners do, but 95% seem to have total disregard for others.

Let's stay on topic. If you knowingly put down something that could hurt dogs than yes you are the ahole.

You're acting like OP is asking if they can put out bowls of antifreeze and bits of hot dog laced with rat poison. Regular snow melt on the short stretch of sidewalk in front of their house is not going to cause any serious harm to any dogs.

I never heard of such a thing. You can’t possibly be putting down Icemelt very many days in a year to pose a problem on you tiny sidewalk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very thoughtful of you, OP, but use the ice melt and don't worry. Unless there is a neighborhood-wide requirement to use pet safe materials, they will just walk from your portion of safe sidewalk to regular sidewalk 50 feet later. And then cross the road with township salt caked on it. It's on the pet owners to keep their pets safe, not on random neighbors.

I disagree. If you knowingly put things that harm animals that's on you. If I am walking my dog wouldn't it be nice if someone thought of others instead of themselves?

I wish dog owners thought of others instead of themselves. I mean 5% of dog owners do, but 95% seem to have total disregard for others.

Let's stay on topic. If you knowingly put down something that could hurt dogs than yes you are the ahole.

It is on topic. I'd beg a bag of pet-safe ice melt that you're in the 95% of dog owners that do one of the following. And until you don't ever do any of them, you have no right to call others an ahole.

- let their dog pee on someone's grass or plants
- use a retractable leash, any time of day or night
- ever lets their dog off leash, no matter the time of day or weather
- don't walk their dog on the right hand side
- don't walk their dog on a SHORT controlled leash, walking all over the place
- lets their dog bark
- doesn't pick up dog poop. Or worse, leaves it in a bag on the side of a path
- brings their dog in stores

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very thoughtful of you, OP, but use the ice melt and don't worry. Unless there is a neighborhood-wide requirement to use pet safe materials, they will just walk from your portion of safe sidewalk to regular sidewalk 50 feet later. And then cross the road with township salt caked on it. It's on the pet owners to keep their pets safe, not on random neighbors.

I disagree. If you knowingly put things that harm animals that's on you. If I am walking my dog wouldn't it be nice if someone thought of others instead of themselves?

I wish dog owners thought of others instead of themselves. I mean 5% of dog owners do, but 95% seem to have total disregard for others.

This. The world does not revolve around them and their dogs.

Even if 75% of the houses used pet safe ice melt, a dog owner would never know which one does and which doesn't. Either everyone decides to switch, or it doesn't matter.

If you shovel properly you shouldn’t need to use ice melt.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I have a dog and I don’t think this is a big deal. I assume my dogs have walked through all sorts of snow melt and never had a problem. If someone has sensitive paws they’ll use those little booties or walk in the street.

Same, don’t care. If it’s a problem (never has been) I’ll get her booties or watch closely where she walks. Use whatever works.

So an extra expense on booties? When the solution can be not for op to use it?

Generally you don't know what anyone else is using, so for a dog owner, booties are the solution to prevent exposure and keep the paws clean.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very thoughtful of you, OP, but use the ice melt and don't worry. Unless there is a neighborhood-wide requirement to use pet safe materials, they will just walk from your portion of safe sidewalk to regular sidewalk 50 feet later. And then cross the road with township salt caked on it. It's on the pet owners to keep their pets safe, not on random neighbors.

I disagree. If you knowingly put things that harm animals that's on you. If I am walking my dog wouldn't it be nice if someone thought of others instead of themselves?

I wish dog owners thought of others instead of themselves. I mean 5% of dog owners do, but 95% seem to have total disregard for others.

Let's stay on topic. If you knowingly put down something that could hurt dogs than yes you are the ahole.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very thoughtful of you, OP, but use the ice melt and don't worry. Unless there is a neighborhood-wide requirement to use pet safe materials, they will just walk from your portion of safe sidewalk to regular sidewalk 50 feet later. And then cross the road with township salt caked on it. It's on the pet owners to keep their pets safe, not on random neighbors.

I disagree. If you knowingly put things that harm animals that's on you. If I am walking my dog wouldn't it be nice if someone thought of others instead of themselves?

I wish dog owners thought of others instead of themselves. I mean 5% of dog owners do, but 95% seem to have total disregard for others.

Anonymous wrote:It's very thoughtful of you, OP, but use the ice melt and don't worry. Unless there is a neighborhood-wide requirement to use pet safe materials, they will just walk from your portion of safe sidewalk to regular sidewalk 50 feet later. And then cross the road with township salt caked on it. It's on the pet owners to keep their pets safe, not on random neighbors.

I disagree. If you knowingly put things that harm animals that's on you. If I am walking my dog wouldn't it be nice if someone thought of others instead of themselves?

Stop using ice melt when you don’t need it!! Like today!!

It's very thoughtful of you, OP, but use the ice melt and don't worry. Unless there is a neighborhood-wide requirement to use pet safe materials, they will just walk from your portion of safe sidewalk to regular sidewalk 50 feet later. And then cross the road with township salt caked on it. It's on the pet owners to keep their pets safe, not on random neighbors.

Neither of my dogs have ever had issues with regular ice melt. They needed booties when we lived in Chicago because the ice melt gave them almost chemical burns even if we wiped their paws (because it was so cold, I assume it had different, more powerful chemicals). But in DC, it's really not an issue. If someone's dog is particularly sensitive, then they'll get booties or balm. Use what you have and don't buy special products for other people's dogs.