Dog poop is no joke!
As Caretakers of Westgrove Park, it's our responsibility to collect and properly dispose of dog waste. There are several good reasons for this:
1. It's the law. Fairfax County Code Section 41 - 1 - 2 requires that "The owner or custodian of any dog shall be responsible for the removal of excreta deposited by such dog on the property of another, including public places. " Violation of this section is a Class 4 Misdemeanor punishable by a $250 fine for each occurrence.
2. Dog waste can spread disease, including tapeworm, hookworm, ringworm, giardia, parvo, bacteria E. coli and Salmonella. These diseases can infect both dogs and people and can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, expensive medical bills, and even death.
3. Dog waste kills grass. Dog waste is NOT fertilizer. Because dogs eat a high-protein diet, their waste is highly acidic and harmful to plants.
4. Dog waste doesn't go away on its own. Sun and weather can take over a year to completely break down a pile of dog waste. Even when you can't see it anymore, it's still there.
5. Dog waste is hazardous to the environment. Storm water washes dog waste into nearby waterways and wetlands and the Chesapeake Bay downstream, where it feeds harmful algae and causes eutrophication, which kills marine life.
6. Nobody else is going to pick it up. The Fairfax County Park Authority does not have staff or budget to pick up dog waste in county dog parks. Hiring a private service to pick up the park twice weekly would cost $9,100 per year. At this time, Westgrove PACK does not have the funds for that (although if anybody wants to write us a check for that, please contact westgrovepack@gmail.com). The only alternative is that we all need to take responsibility to keep our park clean and safe. We all need to:
1. It's the law. Fairfax County Code Section 41 - 1 - 2 requires that "The owner or custodian of any dog shall be responsible for the removal of excreta deposited by such dog on the property of another, including public places. " Violation of this section is a Class 4 Misdemeanor punishable by a $250 fine for each occurrence.
2. Dog waste can spread disease, including tapeworm, hookworm, ringworm, giardia, parvo, bacteria E. coli and Salmonella. These diseases can infect both dogs and people and can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, expensive medical bills, and even death.
3. Dog waste kills grass. Dog waste is NOT fertilizer. Because dogs eat a high-protein diet, their waste is highly acidic and harmful to plants.
4. Dog waste doesn't go away on its own. Sun and weather can take over a year to completely break down a pile of dog waste. Even when you can't see it anymore, it's still there.
5. Dog waste is hazardous to the environment. Storm water washes dog waste into nearby waterways and wetlands and the Chesapeake Bay downstream, where it feeds harmful algae and causes eutrophication, which kills marine life.
6. Nobody else is going to pick it up. The Fairfax County Park Authority does not have staff or budget to pick up dog waste in county dog parks. Hiring a private service to pick up the park twice weekly would cost $9,100 per year. At this time, Westgrove PACK does not have the funds for that (although if anybody wants to write us a check for that, please contact westgrovepack@gmail.com). The only alternative is that we all need to take responsibility to keep our park clean and safe. We all need to:
- Keep an eye on our dogs and pick up after them.
- Let other dog owners know when they need to pick up.
- Do not bring dogs to the park when they have diarrhea or other digestive problems.
- If you see dog waste in the park and the owner isn't around, pick it up. Once dog waste is on the ground, it's everybody's problem, so don't wait for somebody else to deal with it.