Todays post is part of the Scoop That Poop Blog Hop (click the link to view all of the participants) hosted by Sugar the Golden Retriever. We invite you to join us to educate and raise awareness to make a positive change in the world, #Scoop That Poop. Follow @Scoop_That_Poop on twitter and check out Scoop That Poop Campaign site.
Many people think that dog poop is natural and that it will “go back to nature” if they leave it on the ground. Well, it doesn’t and leaving it creates a real problem with pet waste.
I have worked for many years in water quality and spent much effort trying to educate people about the dangers that pet waste pose to human health and the environment. I have also spent some time trying to make people understand that picking up your pet waste is a law (it is where I live). I like to think that my efforts had some impact on the problem but I am sure it was pretty limited.
Really, no one likes people telling them what to do. Helping people to understand the dangers of leaving on the ground is a limited message. In the environmental education world, it is understood that those kinds of messages only touch people who care about the environment and already pick up their pet waste (enforcing that they should do it ALL of the time) or people who are thinking about it but need a few more messages to push them over the edge….called “brownies” ironically 🙂
According to a survey completed by Snohomish County Public Works and The Washington State Department of Ecology, dog owners are more likely to pick up pet waste in public if they feel peer pressure or embarrassment.
Because of that study, I started to think of other ways that the “pick up the poo” message could be presented. I convinced my boss to let us create a “I pick up my dog poop” sticker that we could give away at a local doggy festival. People could post these stickers publicly so others might feel some peer pressure. I also though of starting a website or Facebook page where people could post photos of pet waste that had not been picked up with the location listed so people might fear being embarrassed for leaving a pile.
I didn’t go down the second road because I thought, who wants to look at lots of photos of dog poop. I am not sure even I want to do that 🙂 Well, it’s been almost 2 years since I had that idea and looky what I found last week – A website called Pictures of Dog Doo Doo!
The blog’s tagline says “PoDDD is an international community to share, discuss, and sometimes laugh at pictures of dog doo-doo”. It takes a funny look at the business of dog business in the news and around the web. It also highlights videos, the best poop signs seen and Tweets about dog poop. I hope this new site (looks like it was started in March 2013) gains some traction and popularity because I think it’s a fun way to get the scoop the poop message and might impart an element of peer pressure in those that stumble across it.
Ruckus the Eskie says
Pictures of other dog’s wastes online? WOW. Now I have heard it all!
Jessica Rhae says
Some are more squeamish than others. It doesn’t bother me but I posted a picture of poop to my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago and grossed someone out 🙂
Ann Paws says
What a funny website. You know, everything has been thought of on the internet lol. I guess I’ve looked at enough dog poop in my life that I probably wouldn’t have gone through with the second idea either!
Jessica Rhae says
I don’t mind looking a pictures of poop but I thought my idea might cross the poop-photo threshold for some people…so then they wouldn’t be looking at the website anyway and feeling shamed 🙂
Bethany says
Great point, Jessica! I’ve always thought those silly signs and groups couldn’t possibly help- if someone is oblivious enough not to scoop that poop, signs and stickers won’t help, right?- but it turns out it does. And educating people as to WHY poop must be scooped. I am shocked at how many very intelligent and educated people don’t understand the environmental impacts of leaving poop everywhere.
Jessica Rhae says
Sadly, some people do hear the message of “why” and still don’t believe it or care. That was one of the most shocking things to me when I was working in environmental education. I thought that surely if they understood the problem it causes for the environment they would stop. Not so. Just with the browies as I said. The rest of the people have to be shamed into it 🙂
melf says
I think you are right, people do think dog poop is only natural and returns to the environment. We definitely need to do some educating. (Do you think they see the connection to a dog park being closed for ecoli and leaving poop lying all around?)
At our dog park, we police each other and call out when a dog has pooped and no identifiable owner has come forward. Most people get the message after that.
Jessica Rhae says
No one in my Doxie group would ever purposely NOT pick up their dog poop but we still try and make it easier for each other – playing the poop bag quick-draw game (who can get one out fastest) or picking up for others if our dog pooped too.
Amy says
I love the poem! Humorously getting the message across.
Oz the Terrier says
Hmmm, interesting that the survey showed that embarrassment and/or peer pressure would be the best tactic. I wonder how I can use that as I walk around my neighborhood glaring at those who refuse to pick up the poop (even though it is supposedly a “mandatory” thing to do here). Great post, Ms. Jess!
Scooper Oz
Jessica Rhae says
I think it is more of an implied thing. The more people they see doing it, the more they think they should. You could also make something funny and attention getting….like a duck quack or bell every time you pick up a pile that will make people look 🙂
Kimberly Gauthier says
I just wrapped up episode #3 of my podcast and it’s a list of 10 bad things I’ve done as a dog mom – not picking up poop is one of them. I’m devoted about picking up after our dogs now.
Jessica Rhae says
Eh….as we all improve as dog parents and then old behaviors can leave us thinking…what was I thinking?? We just do better and move on. Glad to see such commitment 🙂
jan says
I think your approach to educating people in a humorous way is very effective. Dog poop can be a serious problem, but I think it is because people are thinking of other things.
And the poem is priceless.
Jessica Rhae says
But what ARE they thinking?? I don’t understand how they could justify leaving it. I CAN see that maybe some people don’t give it any thought at all. Maybe they don’t even notice?
Brian says
Fantastic! I’m trying to spread the word here in the US about cleaning up dog poop and I absolutely think you’re right, people are more likely to scoop if they think someone is watching them. I have a blog http://picturesofdogdoodoo.blogspot.com to raise awareness, best of luck!
Jessica Rhae says
I will be keeping tabs on what is going on with your site for sure 🙂
Dolly the Doxie says
Don’t you hate it when you find out you had an idea before someone else and they succeed with it? Dog poop. Who woulda thunk it. Love Dolly
Jessica Rhae says
Generally, yes, but I am really happy here. I didn’t have time to pursue the idea anyway. Plus I am s entrenched in the water quality world it would have been all scienc-y and boring if I had done it 🙂
SUGAR: Golden Woofs says
Interesting site, Golden LAUGHS! Will check more later as it took time to load.
One reason we need to persuade every home owner to pick up their dog’s poop on their yard. Lots of Golden Thanks for joining our hop and SPREAD #ScoopThatPoop. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
BTW: our theme for next months hop is going to be Poop Poetry. Golden Woofs
Jessica Rhae says
Darn. I should have saved the poem until then. I can’t write a poem to save my life. But Oz can can’t he? Maybe I will have him write me one for poop 🙂
emma says
We don’t think most “offenders” care about signs, etc, but if someone is watching or there is some humor in the message maybe they would think twice about not picking up. People have to not be afraid to say “hey you, pick that up”.
Jessica Rhae says
Yeah. Part of the challenge, at least for me, is actually seeing them try to leave it. I see piles of poop on the ground but never the offender. I can’t say anything if I don’t see them do it 🙁
GizmoGeodog says
Love that site…It kind of reminds me of “The People of Walmart” but a little humour can go a long way towards getting a message across…I still love that great music video you did
Jessica Rhae says
I send the guy a link to that video. Maybe he will put it on his site 🙂
SuperCutePetContest says
Oh my goodness, that site is hilarious! I guess that’s one way to do handle it.
Garth Riley says
Thanks for pawticipating! Another excellent and thoughtful post (as your posts always are).
I love the sticker idea and I’ll have to check out that website.
Fellow Scooper Hero,
Garth
Chris Knowles says
Ha, dog poop poetry, and a website full of dog poop. I’m gonna have to check that out.
Sand Spring Chesapeakes says
Great spread the word poop blog.
BoingyDog says
Fantastic post and thank you for joining the hop! Understanding the effectiveness of peer pressure or embarrassment has driven the poop scooping campaigns in many different countries, like mailing poop back to the offender’s home. For next month’s hop I’m going to write about some of the different campaigns around the world. I’ll check out the new site too!
2 brown dawgs says
Now see you could have been ahead of the trend with your website….lol.
Jodi says
I’m not sure I’d like to look at poop online, but I’d sure like photos of the people who aren’t pickin up.