Throw pet waste in trash, not in toilet

: I live in a townhouse with a homeowners association. Over the past year, we have been sent constant reminders to pick-up our pet waste.

Recently, the newsletters stated that we need to bring this waste into our homes and flush it down the toilet. If not, we could be fined.

When I go to pet-friendly parks many provide bags and a waste deposit station. I have never seen signs or never have been asked to flush this waste down the toilet. I assume that these parks have a proper disposal procedure.

What I have been doing is to pick up my dog's waste, place it in a plastic bag, tied up and placed into my trash can. My basic question to you is what is the proper procedure for pet waste disposal, including kitty litter? Is there a code to follow? If we adopted pet stations how would this waste be handled? Do the parks put their (waste) to the curb for trash pickup? What is done with disposal diapers?

A:. According to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the Conservation District of Southern Nevada and the city of North Las Vegas (just to name a few), the health and safety issue does not come into play when disposing pet waste into a trash can, but rather flushing it down the toilet.

"Pet waste is an environmental issue," states the state agency in press releases aimed at educating the public on the harm pet waste has to the area's water ways.

The Las Vegas Wash has consistently measured fecal coliform bacteria that is attributable to pet waste and by preventing the pollution source (pet waste) less bacteria would affect the water ways.

How can you help? By disposing of your pet's waste in the trash.

If you or other readers would like more information on this topic, contact Kim Vilt at the Conservation District of Southern Nevada at 262-9047, est. 115.

Your association's new regulation is contrary to the public interest of clean water. Please have your association contact the district for more information. They can help your association in establishing proper procedures.

Disposal diapers, kitty litter and pet waste should be disposed in tied plastic bags placed into your garbage cans for weekly pickup.

NOTE: I had a reader tell me that he had filed a complaint with the state ombudsman's office and that nothing had been done.

In filing a complaint with the this office, you must follow precise instructions. If an affidavit is incomplete, you will receive a letter that will state what is needed. You must be able to substantiate your complaint with supporting documentation. Also, you have to tie an action to a violation of the law. Governing documents issues are not investigated by the compliance section and are not under the commission's jurisdiction.

If the issues are related to governing documents, the ombudsman will attempt to get the parties to meet to resolve issues. If they refuse to meet, the only recourse is the ADR process.

When an affidavit is properly filed, both parties will be contacted by letter from the office.

If both parties do not agree to meet, the request will be forwarded to the compliance section, where the chief investigator takes over. It is completely out of the ombudsman's hands once the conference is completed, or if/when either party declines to meet.

I do not know what was were missing in your complaint. Perhaps the certified mailing? That is often the case.

Barbara Holland, certified property manager, is president and owner of H&L Realty and Management Co. To ask her a question, e-mail support@hlrealty.com.