Poop in the water

By Jeff SwitzerHerald Writer
What smells bad, sticks to shoes and piles up at a rate of 20 tons per day -- and not just during election years?Ask Snohomish County dog owners.The county's estimated 126,000 dogs produce enough poop to rival a city of 32,000 people."This is essentially the equivalent of the human waste of the city of Lynnwood or Bothell dumped in back yards every day," said Kathy Thornburgh, a county water and habitat sciences supervisor.It's a big problem that county officials have spent four years studying. Clean water experts say streams are suffering whenever a dog's business isn't cleaned up, and the county is wrapping up a $475,000 campaign on how to solve the problem.So far, officials spent some of the money trying to block animal waste from running into county streams.Other money is being spent on education and on study and experimentation to find the right way to persuade homeowners with pets to "scoop the poop, bag it and put it in the trash."

National Scoop the Poop Week (continued)

Sent by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), there are over 74.8 million dogs in the U.S. As the dog count rises, more dog owners are looking for a simple solution to an unavoidable problem, the average dog leaves approximately 23 piles of poop a week! This amount of waste can seriously damage our ecosystem if not properly disposed of. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, pet waste has been identified as a major cause of “non point source pollution” (NPS). So do your part, and call The Poop Scoop Troop!!!

NATIONAL SCOOP THE POOP WEEK (April 24th through the 30th)

Between the storms of winter and the backyard barbecues of summer, now is the perfect time for dog owners to catch up on all those "canine calling cards" that have accumulated during the cold months. Besides creating a nasty mess in your yard, it's a health hazard, it pollutes the groundwater and it annoys the neighbors. It doesn't go away by itself, so get it cleaned up this week. And remind your dog-owning friends! Your family, neighbors and dog will love you for it.