For one person a dog is a member of the family, for the other a source of nuisance. Dog poo is in the top ten of Dutch annoyances. Dog poo on the streets is not only distasteful and unsanitary, it also pollutes the environment and poses a health risk to for humans, as well to other animals.
There is The problem of dog poo creates a feeling of powerlessness, given the long history of taking various steps against it, and the little effect they have resulted in. The problem of dog poo is difficult to deal with, but it's also a problem worth solving. It appears that the problem can't be solved by always blaming the dog owners. Instead of adopting a policy that only works with penalties and prohibitions for dog owners, a more effective solution must be sought in cooperation with dog owners, as well as non-dog owners. These issues relate to social control and acceptance, participation and responsibility.
For these reasons, Animal Life Foundation contacted Mr Lucas de Boer, Executive Director of Environment and Traffic in the council in the Rotterdam borough Kralingen-Crooswijk. A pilot project was launched on June 1, 2009 at the Kralingse Plas Avenue, involving the placement of dispensers with clean-up dog poo bags, in order to encourage dog owners to clean up after their dog. Animal Life Foundation advises the municipality in positioning, implementation, communication and enforcement strategy.
Did you know that dog poo which is not cleaned up:
- increases the risk of people and animals being infected with the parasite Toxocara canis, or dog coil worm, a malicious worm that is transmitted through dog faeces? Mostly this will pass unnoticed, but sometimes acts like flu symptoms or infection which can lead to problems to the liver, eyes and lungs.
- is environmental pollution? The dogpoo is washed away with the rainwater which causes pollution. This can raise the levels of E-colli bacteria, which are harmful to both humans, as well as animals.
- promotes the growth of algae which are harmful to plants and fish in the water?
Is your city also fed up with nuisance of dog poo? Please contact Animal Life Foundation for advice in the field of human-and animal solutions: info@animallifefoundation.com
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