RALEIGH — Moving to a new area is stressful enough, but not knowing the laws of your new home town can get you into trouble.

For instance you can get a ticket for something as simple as letting Fido do his business outside.

"Pet poop," "doggie doo" -- whatever you choose to call it, there is nothing cute about it.

"It was a nasty feeling," says Megan George.

George has had the unpleasant experience of walking in it and tracking it through her house.

And that is the reason there are now laws in many cities.

"It's not hard," says Jan Pochis, who scoops for her dog Dancer. "It's so easy. This is my back-up bag -- it's just a plain old grocery bag just -- turn it inside out reach down and grab it."

Most people think that cleaning up after pets is just for apartment dwellers, but you can be fined on public or private property for allowing your dog to poop and not clean it up.

"We actually have a city ordinance against allowing a dog to defecate on someone else's property, public property and the right of way," says Sgt. Michael Williams of the Cary Police Department.

A similar law applies to other areas of the state, including Raleigh and Fayetteville. Durham and Chapel Hill do not have pooper scooper laws.

Many dog owners look at the task as a courtesy to others.

"I can't stand it when people leave it in my yard so I go ahead and pick it up after her," says Lauren Peele.

Cary allows second chances before they slap you with a $95 citation.

"If we can work with the community and make sure that everyone is happy in the situation and assure it's not going to happen again without taking somebody and placing them in the court system that's what we would prefer to do," Williams says.