Ruff, ruff. Who’s your spokesdog?
The Philadelphia Water Department is hosting contests in Northern Liberties and Queen Village, to find some of the city’s most eco-friendly dog/owner tandems to teach fellow bark-park goers about the importance of proper doggie waste removal. The contest winners will become Philly’s own spokesdogs.
Did you know 3.6 billion pounds of dog waste each year is produced in the U.S. alone? That equals 800 football fields, one foot high. Stinky, huh? Plus, nutrients in canine waste can act as a fertilizer in water and may cause algae blooms. These blooms can reduce the amount of oxygen available to other organisms in the waterways. Yo! We don’t want that.
Spokesdogs will be chosen at a community event and receive $200 of products from their local pet store. Plus, the winning dogs will become poster-dogs around town.
It’s good to know we’re not wasting any opportunities to learn.
In Queen Village, for example, the Queen Village Neighborhood Association recently received a grant both to create a prototype dog waste composting station and educate residents about preventing water pollution.
And according to a 2009 study of how clean city water is by the Environmental Working Group (the data was compiled from ’04 through ’09), Philly ranks sixtieth. So any steps toward cleaner water or studies into it can be seen as a positive move towards healthier living.
Enthusiastic dog owners can enter their pet here, until Feb 15th.
–Lou Mancinelli