Dog Poop in the City

Let’s start out by talking about shoes. Especially shoes walking on city sidewalks beside our own. From athletic shoes, to hard-working boots, to Carrie’s Sex in the City Jimmy Choos. We humans share space with each other, with our pets, and the local night-life – even the rat-izens who come out after dark. There is a lot going on underfoot!

Unintended street art and the big “yuck” 

If everywhere you go smells like shit, maybe it's time to check your own shoes."  

-- Twitter Wisdom

Shoes shouldn’t have to risk a s#*t show. You know what it’s like to experience that ominous heel-squish. You feel a sudden, surprising, softened downward sink of your heel, followed by that slight tug on the upward pull. Dog poo strikes without regard for shoe style or purpose. Maybe it’s a stiletto stuck in a pile – an unintended street statue – as you find yourself hopping, suddenly one shoe short of a pair. Or it could be a deep-treaded athletic shoe, forcing you to step lightly until you can unlace and scrape it out in the sink (the same one you use to do dishes in). That’s always a BIG yuck.

Parasites – things that trail you, and aren’t paparazzi

Parasites and harmful bacteria live in all dog poop, yes, even bougie-fed pampered pooch poo. What you can’t see can hurt you.

Our doggos mostly go bare paw outside, they live in our hearts, homes and often on our couches and beds. Whatever is on the street is on their paws and while many of us take off our shoes at home, it’s easy to see that it’s an imperfect system -- or a perfect system for spreading pathogens. Tummy bug, anyone?

Being a good neighbor isn’t just for Mr. Rogers

 

These are words to live by. The pets we count on to keep us company and keep us sane as we walk through this world, are being invited into more public spaces than ever before. But when some people don’t take care of their dog’s waste, our furry friends become less welcome, and can even be banned. 

Scooping dog poop and properly disposing of the bag is a kind action that helps keep neighbors happy, the environment healthy, and dogs welcome. Please pick up the poop. If it’s sloppy, have a water bottle handy to ‘wash’ the area. If we take care of what our dogs can’t, they can walk alongside us as our welcomed plus-one, loved by most!

Some things you can’t improve Once-ler, even if you try twice-ler

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.

― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Water. We need it, we are it, and we must take care of it. There are so many canines cruising about with their guardians in natural areas that dog poop is leaching into water tables, creeks, rivers, and lakes. Ocean beaches are sometimes closed due to elevated bacteria levels. Our sewage system is designed to take care of our home and business generated organic waste and gray water, but nothing catches the untreated poo that flows directly into our lakes, ponds, streams, and oceans. It has become increasingly problematic. Water districts have reached out to us here at the dooloop about this important issue.

And while our dogs are descended from wildlife, we need to admit their commercially-fed, nutrient-rich poop can damage soil composition, no matter how ‘deer’ they are to us. When all that poop alters the soil, it can impact native plants, too.

Last week I read that urban rats dine on dog poo! While rats are smart, resourceful, and social, I’d like to think they could dine on something better than doo, if we did a better job of picking it up.

And because I’m Chanel-ing, I will share these pearls of wisdom

 

When choosing a handbag to fit your lifestyle, you’d probably gravitate toward something that’s both fashionable and functional. Unfortunately, a bag of poop will never be chic. It doesn’t elevate your look and, especially for multi-tasking city people, it certainly doesn’t make carrying other bags, answering your phone, or finishing your coffee any easier.

Fortunately, a one-hand, easy accessory is here that fixes all of that: the dooloop. 

 

The dooloop isn’t expensive, but it does help dog-walkers both in and outside of the city manage to look high-end while dealing with their dog’s rear-end. To wit: using your dooloop is both fabulous and responsible because it:

• takes care of our immediate streets and parks,
• respects and shows consideration of our neighbors,
• directly contributes to less stress on the wider environment,
• lets you free your hands of that unfashionable poop bag by dooloop-slinging it onto your dog’s leash,
• and spared the soles of shoes everywhere.

 

A dooloop isn’t a Louis Vuitton, but let’s face it: You’ll look a lot more stylist without a bag of sh*t in your hand, so be sure to use that dooloop! That coffee you’re carrying will taste better, too.

 

Bottom line, the dooloop is an original design whose form follows function. In our throw-away culture, the dooloop could be made anywhere across the globe, but it’s being made locally, in Maine. It could be made of new, inexpensive plastic, but we have too much of that already. My dooloops are recycled plastic. There’s also no single-use plastic in the packaging – which is assembled by hand. We baked a living wage into the cost to cover that. We also hope that, wherever possible, you’ll buy your dooloop locally, supporting your own communities. 

To me, “luxury” is making choices that I feel good about. It means shopping my values and living my best life. I hope that you can do the same. 

Spread Peace, Not Poo!