Does your dog have spokesdog star potential?

The Philadelphia Water Department is looking for two eco-friendly dogs to help keep Philly’s waterways clean—one in Northern Liberties and one in Queen Village! Spokesdogs will be chosen to teach bark-park buddies and their caretakers about the importance of picking up pet waste. Each spokesdog will be chosen at a community event and will win $200 worth of prizes from a pet shop in their neighborhood. As a part of the campaign, the winning dogs' images will be used on a number of brochures, advertisements, websites, etc. Winning spokesdogs and their owners will be required to attend at least three community events to distribute information on living the eco-friendly dog life. Read the contest guidelines. The voting period for the spokesdog competition has closed. Find out more about Bags On Board.

Judging and Awards Ceremonies

The Queen Village judging and awards ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, June 2 at 10:00 a.m. at Mario Lanza Park.

The Northern Liberties judging and awards ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, June 9 at 3:00 p.m. at Liberty Lands.

Isn’t animal waste natural?

Yes, but...

Animal waste acts as a fertilizer in the water, just as it does on land. It can promote excessive aquatic plant growth that can choke waterways, increase algae blooms and rob the water of vital oxygen. It also pollutes the water with disease causing bacteria.

Doggie Waste Facts

• In 2000, 68 million Americans owned dogs, that’s 40% of all households.
• 3.6 billion pounds of dog waste a year is produced in the U.S. alone, equaling 800 football fields, one foot high.
• 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.
• Poo may take upwards of a year to degrade fully.
• This poo also contains both bacteria and parasites. The parasites can live in the soil for years before ever hatching.
• The average dog goes 23 times a week. Based on a study conducted in Washington DC, this leaves between 100-200 pounds of waste per dog every year.

What can you "doo"?

• Pick up after your pet using Bags on Board or some receptacle. Flushing pet waste (not the bag) down the toilet is best, because it will be treated at a sewage treatment plant, just like human waste.
• If flushing your pet’s waste down the toilet is not an option, bag your pet’s waste and put it into a trashcan.
  Never put pet waste into a storm drain.
• Encourage your neighbors to use bags or pet waste stations for the collection and disposal of dog waste.

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