Slightly more than half of the people who walk dogs scoop after them while the other half should. National and state pollution prevention and environmental quality centers across the country have compiled numerous reports on bacterial pollution from fecal waste and they report that a significant source of fecal coliform and bacterial contamination in urban watersheds comes from pet waste.

Could that be in part why so many beaches around the country, especially those along the Great Lakes, close for periods of the summer? Fecal waste poses health risks to humans as well as other animals. Marine coastal areas report contamination concerns in the shellfishing industry and they attribute this in part to dog waste.

The Yuck Factor
I have a school teacher friend with a classroom that looks out on to a small pocket park adjacent to the school grounds. Each day the children go out and play in the park as well as the school yard. Twice a day, every day, she watches as people walk through the area with their dogs. One woman in particular walks two large dogs, they both poop in the campus or park and without scooping she walks away—every day. My friend can be hyper aggressive and one day she left the kids with her assistant and ran out to confront the woman. The woman had neither an excuse nor an apology and explained that she had no control over where and when her dogs pooped. We all know that makes no sense, but that was her logic.

Bags On Board offers a simple solution for dog walkers. They manufacture a small container that holds 15 to 24 biodegradable bags that are the perfect size for your hand and for picking up what your dog intends to leave behind. (It's my territory and I'll poop where I want to.) The container is small, approximately 1 3/4" diameter x 3" tall and it hooks on to your leash with a secure adjustable strap. It will fit leashes of all types, including retractable leashes. Bags are easily removed through the easy pull dispenser. When you’ve depleted your supply, refill the canister. My only warning is do not open the container until it's empty. If you open it after pulling bags out, the pressure on the refill has changed and you can have difficulty closing the container.

Using this system is essentially easy. Scoop that waste and always carry a biodegradable bag in a convenient dispenser.

Refills contain 15 to 24 bags, depending upon which shape you get. The bags are large enough for lifting waste from big dogs as well as small dogs. These come in a variety of shapes and colors including the dog-bone shape, a fire hydrant shape, and the simple, no frills original. It will hold refills designed for PetNation, PetZone, Outward Hound and Companion Gear as well as any other canister dispenser. The bags are even available in a bright selection of colors as well as the traditional opaque black. (You might not mind carrying it but you don’t want to see your load.) So, there’s no excuse. Some companies will even send you more on a regular, subscription basis.

But, but, but…
Sure, at first it seems weird carrying your dog’s droppings. When living in Texas I walked two large dogs every day, twice a day (still do), and invariably went the same route every day. Some people get real fussy about dogs messing in their yards and in my area I was always concerned someone would come after me with a gun. A few people got really hot about it. Recognizing their concern it seemed wise to begin scooping and we have ever since.

It’s gross, but it’s responsible. There are dog walkers in my area who never scoop and their preferred routes are where school children walk. Children frequently walk into school with stinky stuff on their shoes.

The other factor is the pollution. So many people have dogs and the waste runoff from yards is quickly becoming more than can be handled by natural systems. Often the waste goes into the storm water systems, which is not treated. In many parts of the country wetlands have the responsibility of filtering the waste before it enters streams and bays. Many parks are providing pet waste stations for depositing your dog’s waste. While many other factors contribute to pollution, our Fido’s waste is a significant percentage.

These bags are not the perfect solution, but as for controlling the runoff and eliminating the child issue, this is a big step. When out walking, or traveling, carry these bags, scoop, and dump in a trash can or designated pet station, or carry it home to dispose. I always have a roll in my car for those moments when you realize you don’t have a produce or grocery bag.

The Bags on Board pet bags are strong, convenient, economical and actually fun to carry. Pet waste is more than a public nuisance; it is a public health concern that seems to be increasing every summer. Has your local beach been closed because of high coliform counts? My only wish is that the dogs could carry their loads home, but they probably figured they did their part by carrying it half way out and I can carry it half way home. Be responsible. In many places it’s the law and in the other places it probably should be the law.

One other positive response to using these (or any other bags) is that we get to meet a lot of neighbors who not only want to meet our dogs but also to compliment us on our scooping practice. When you move as much as we do, meeting appreciative neighbors is good.






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