The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen recently passed an ordinance requiring pet owners to clean up after their animals if the pet poops on someone else’s property. The new regulation will take effect in 30 days.

While some may find it silly — surely city officials have better ways to spend their time other than worrying about where a pet chooses to do number two — the ordinance is the first in a series of upcoming ordinances aimed at making more responsible owners of those who have pets.

It’s more about giving city officials enforcement power, said South Ward Alderman Willis Thompson.

The larger issue is protecting children and citizens from any kind of attack by an animal that should have been restrained, Thompson said.

He said the city has gotten numerous complaints about stray animals and animals whose owners allow them to run freely off of a leash. Those animals have been reported to destroy property and damage landscaping, as well.

Pets can provide much comfort and reward for their human companions. However, pet ownership comes with responsibilities.

Residents should realize the true cost of pet ownership, like annual visits to a veterinarian, before they agree to take on an animal. Pets need food, shelter, and health care, such as annual vaccinations, as well as protection and security.

Those things can be expensive.

However, taking on a pet obligates its owner to provide these necessities, among others.

Making certain your pet is spayed or neutered is also a must-do for any responsible pet owner.

We applaud the mayor and aldermen for taking the first steps to assure that pets in Vicksburg are cared for as they should be. Perhaps these new ordinances will mean fewer animals will suffer by being left behind when their owners move or discarded, left to fend for themselves as strays.

Our pets deserve the very best a civilized society can offer.