Calling all dog owners in Northern Liberties and Queen Village! The Philadelphia Water Department is searching for “spokesdogs” worthy of the title Philly Water’s Best Friend. Dog owners residing in Northern Liberties and Queen Village have until February 15th to make their pooches eligible for the competition’s grand prize, a $200 gift from a local pet store!
Manayunk Spokesdog 2011
The purpose of the Philly Water’s Best Friend Spokesdog Competition is to reduce water pollution. Organizers plan to accomplish this by teaching pet owners about the importance of picking up dog waste. “Believe it or not, dog waste is the number-one concern for citizens who express reservations about planting trees or greening their properties,” said Joanne Dahme, general manager of public affairs at the Philadelphia Water Department. “Our goal is to work creatively with riverside communities to reduce this pollution, which results in tainted storm water runoff flowing into our rivers and streams, by using common-sense solutions, like picking up after your pet.”
Contrary to popular belief, dog waste is not environmentally friendly. Nor is it a fertilizer! Dog waste is a pollutant that spreads whenever rain or melting snow washes it into storm drains. This runoff causes bacteria, parasites and algae to collect in local waterways like the Delaware River. Fortunately, this can be prevented. All owners have to do is flush their dog’s waste down the toilet or discard it in the trash using a biodegradable bag.
Did you know:
- 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.
Yuck!!!!
A total of 30 finalists will be chosen next spring by virtue of online voting; 15 from Northern Liberties and 15 from Queen Village. Two winners will then be chosen in June by a panel judging pageants in each neighborhood. Afterward, each winner will have one year to attend three community events where they will hand out bag dispensers and educational tip cards.
To enter your dog in the Philly Water’s Best Friend Spokesdog Competition, please visit http://phillywatersheds.org/Spokesdog. For more information, call the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary at (800) 445-4935, extension 112.
