The April 21 Mirror front-page article “Dog waste fight leads to threats, jail time” was of interest to many people in this newspaper’s coverage area for an obvious reason — because the article focused on a problem that is too common here and beyond.

Day in and day out, news media are consumed by coverage of major state, national and international events, but there are times when local issues are too relevant to ignore, even if they are far from being the most important news of the day.

Today is one of those days, stemming from reporter Kay Stephens’ April 21 coverage that, for many people, should have triggered an examination of conscience.

From the start, it is important to emphasize that there should be no supposition that hatred of pets — or animals in general — is the basis for this editorial.

In fact, the Mirror and its staff members hold deep respect for humane societies and other organizations whose mission it is to find loving homes for animals, promote responsible pet ownership, work on behalf of proper respect and treatment of animals, as well as rescue abused animals.

The horrific treatment many animals endure during their lives not only is sad and sickening, but in many cases criminal as well.

Every person, every community and its officials have a duty not to condone the torture that some wrong-headed people inflict without a shred of conscience regarding innocent lives — some people use the words “God’s creatures” — with little or no means for defending themselves.

But then there is “the rest of the story,” an aspect of an issue that the late radio commentator Paul Harvey regularly discussed as part of his many broadcasts. And, certainly, the words “rest of the story” are important as far as reflecting on the April 21 article is concerned.

Consider that the wrongdoing that landed in Blair County Court and resulted in a jail sentence would never have occurred if respect had been in play on and before March 30, 2021, the date on which the dog-waste-based incident occurred.

Instead, respect was nowhere to be found.

Which breeds an obvious point:

Consider how many people in Altoona and its environs derive morbid pleasure in allowing their pets to urinate and/or defecate in others’ yards, or on sidewalks in front of others’ properties, during daylight or after-dark walks.

Many of the pet owners embrace the attitude that it is their pets’ right to do so, as long as the owners purportedly clean up “all” of the waste, which it is virtually impossible to do.

In many instances, it is people who take good care of their properties who are victimized by those owners.

How many innocent property owners can attest to having been the object of obscene gestures and foul language when they’ve told pet owners that the animals were not welcome on their properties?

Anyone who has seen animal waste littering public sidewalks, such as those in business districts, knows how repulsive that can be, including the flies and other insects “feasting” on the waste and then landing on passers-by.

Then there are those who have no qualms about their pets soiling playgrounds or desecrating areas such as cemeteries.”

Municipalities have an obligation to pass ordinances addressing such situations, before anger and aggravation boil over into something much more serious.