It's not the most glamorous job, but a group of brave and devoted individuals is tackling one of Squamish’s ugly traits: doggy poop bags littering pathways.
The initiative is being headed by the recently formed Responsible Dog Owners’ Group of Squamish (Rdogs). Co-founded by Joanna Schwarz and Maren Bruun, the organization has set out on a mission to raise public awareness and provide education around dog and pet ownership, touching on everything from designating on-and-off leash areas to teaching youth how to approach dogs.
The dirtiest and possibly most visible project the group is tackling is the clean-up of dog poop bags from Squamish pathways. It’s a topic many of the group’s members have pinpointed on the Rdogs Facebook page as an ongoing issue.
The little green bags have become a common sight in the trees and bushes along many local trails, Schwarz noted.
“It could be partly that these bags are talked about as biodegradable,” she said.
The group hopes to highlight problem areas and provide that information to the District of Squamish, she noted. They will explore reasons why people don’t dispose of the bags properly and environmental impacts of not doing so. While more garbage cans would be nice, Schwarz said she understands they are expensive and can be located in areas difficult to service. The organization is exploring alternative options such as compostable garbage cans.
This is just one of many long- and short-term goals the group hopes to engage on, said Julie Ann McKinnon, who is spearheading the dog poop bags initiative. It was on her radar before Rdogs was formed, she noted. Dubbed the “green bag” group, the committee is set to have its first meeting regarding dog poop disposal this month.
McKinnon said she doesn’t think this trend is occurring only in Squamish.
“My hope is to work with community partners to provide members with the infrastructure and education that changes their behaviour when it comes to cleaning up after their dogs,” McKinnon said.
“We did get a group of volunteers to do a little neighbourhood clean-up,”
McKinnon said.
Anyone interested in getting involved can join the Rdogs Facebook group.
