The issue here is not just about dog poop.
It is more about caring for our wild spaces.
When we are out for a walk,
are we conscience of the land
and the parks we value so much?
All you need is a bucket, plastic bag, mutt mitt or pooper scooper.
Calling all dog owners, the city of Minnetonka is heading the first city-wide “Pick-up the Poop” day in the state of Minnesota (That may not be true). Saturday, March 14th 10 am to noon at Purgatory Park (17315 Excelsior Blvd, Mntka). Bring a bucket, big plastic bag, a “mutt mitt” or scooper and your pooch. If you are going to pick-up at another park, come to Purgatory Park for the weigh in. Early returns from Evergreen Park show a collection of 20 lbs.
Why pick-up poop?
Our suburban wild spaces are out of balance. Normally in an open space of 20 acres, there might be one family of foxes. Introduce 100 dogs into that space and nature’s balance is negatively impacted. 90% of the dog owners pick up after their dogs. The 10% (10 dogs/owners) who are not picking up, are creating the problem. We can estimate that those 10 dogs might leave 5 pounds of poop each week. Multiply that over a 5 month winter (November to March). Now you have 100 pounds of poop on the land. When the spring rains come, the pet waste runs into our low areas, ponds and creeks. Now we have a water quality issue. The poop that stays in forest is a public health problem . The bacteria and pathogens in animal waste can negatively impact wild and domestic animals that eat it.
We all love our dogs. But we also love the land that we walk on. We need to be as caring about the land as much as we do our dogs.
Mookie
Hope you target all golf courses and home owners who use TOXIC cancer causing chemicals and fertilizers on their lawns that run into the wetlands of Minnetonka. How about Scenic Heights school right next to Purgatory Park. Think that would be a much more important issue than dog waste!
Truth, Jackie! I moved to Shorewood from MPLS 3 years ago and was shocked to see the amount of Roundup stocked almost floor to ceiling at the local Ace Hardware store. I too the store manager that I would not be back…and that if the doors had not been open the fumes would be dangerous…They had many isles filled with herbicides and pesticides. As a matter of fact you could smell Roundup in the store. Yikes. Besides that, most of our suburban yards and gardens do not support wildlife in general. Most people are doing exactly what their parents and grandparents did…maintain a perfect lawn etc etc. We need native plants but that is another story! Ace’s garden centers still have plants with Neonics …as do most garden centers. Another story there. This is already too long! Dog poop is a problem too but not in the BIG picture. Can;t sayI am sorry about gold courses closing but wishing they could be turned into parks!
Thanks for getting the word out about this, Larry. Anyone who walks outside knows what a problem the accumulating dog waste becomes for everyone.
why bring dog with?