Doggy Doo as Political Statement
January 19, 2005
Since the US invasion in Iraq in 2003, relations between the US and Germany have cooled off. Many German citizens have less than a rosy opinion of American President George W. Bush. In the German city of Bayreuth, an unknown assailant has been venting his feelings toward the US -- and those feelings do not exactly, shall we say, smell like roses.
The man or woman has "decorated" some 2,000 to 3,000 piles of puppy poop in a city park with little American flags. Josef Öttl of Bayreuth's Castle and Garden Administration is baffled and a little upset about the matter.
"Maybe someone is protesting the war in Iraq or just trying to let people know that there are too many dog droppings in the park," he said.
The park worker said that the perpetrator frequently stops for weeks on end, only to then "decorate" up to 100 more piles of the canine excrement in a night. Öttl feels that the US is being insulted by the actions.
The police has increased patrols in the area, but a police spokesman said it is not a criminal act to place American flags in doggy doo. One state prosecutor pointed out that freedom of expression is highly protected in the German constitution.