Dear Minneapolitans:

Let it be known from this day forward that I am not my neighbor's pooper-scooper. Words cannot express my surprise and dismay when I see, each and every day, unattended animal waste on the sidewalks and boulevards of my lovely Lake of the Isles neighborhood.

For heaven's sake, it's not as if it were hard to see the stuff in the snow. And most of what I see is not from small dogs that could inconspicuously leave a gift for all mankind.

No, these dog owners are simply ignoring their animals' deposits and silently demanding that the rest of us put up -- or pick up -- and shut up. I admit it is not a pleasant task to pick up after my dog.

I don't really want to climb into snowbanks after him; I don't really enjoy having my fingers freeze as I try to tie a neat and sanitary knot in the plastic bag. But I do it, because it is the law.

Please, Minneapolis residents, do your civic doody duty. Pick up after your dog!

CHRISTINE PETERS, MINNEAPOLIS