Typist: Bethany
Last weekend, on a short walk through my neighborhood, every time I stooped down to pick up after one of my dogs, I found myself also picking up a pile left-behind by someone else. I thought about all of the complaints I read about this same problem all over the world, in neighborhoods and parks, there are dog owners leaving piles of poop behind. So I asked myself what I can do to get my neighbors to learn why they must scoop that poop? How can I help clean up my neighborhood besides constantly picking up after other dogs? And I realized my neighborhood needs community poop bag share stations.
Last weekend, on a short walk through my neighborhood, every time I stooped down to pick up after one of my dogs, I found myself also picking up a pile left-behind by someone else. I thought about all of the complaints I read about this same problem all over the world, in neighborhoods and parks, there are dog owners leaving piles of poop behind. So I asked myself what I can do to get my neighbors to learn why they must scoop that poop? How can I help clean up my neighborhood besides constantly picking up after other dogs? And I realized my neighborhood needs community poop bag share stations.
| The first place I saw homemade poop bag dispensers was at the neighborhood off-leash park over a decade ago. Most were installed "In Memory" of the dogs of park regulars. These community poop bag share stations didn't last long; they broke, flooded, or were filled with trash, but generous donors usually put up new one. More recently, I've seen community poop bag share stations at one of our favorite city parks. I appreciate that the volunteers who installed these stations also put up informational signage. I decided to do something similar with the poop bag stations I put up in my neighborhood. Left behind pet waste is everyone's problem. The whole neighborhood, those with and without dogs, can come together to educate each other and help neighbors with dogs scoop that poop, every time, without fail. My hope is that years of experience with community poop bag share stations will mean that I could make some that are nice looking, |  Fauntleroy Park, Seattle, Washington |
durable and educational. It disgusts me when I see irresponsible pet owners use pet waste stations to improperly dispose of their pets waste, so I made my dispenser small and difficult to dump waste into. I put educational signage on and near my community poop bag share stations in hopes of helping to educate my neighbors on the importance of scooping that poop. Hopefully these first stations I made will be durable but only time will tell. Below are directions on how to make your own community poop bag share stations. Maybe you can help to clean up your neighborhood too!*
| What you'll need to build your own community poop bag share station:
Tips:
|  An excellent example of a community poop bag sharing station in Fauntleroy Park, Seattle, Washington |
 Making a cut out on one side of the bottle. |  My scissors went in easily but a knife can also start the cut. |
 Remember not to make the cut-out too large. |  1) Rectangular cut-out |
 2) Make four zip tie holder holes on the opposite side of the bottle from the cut-out, two at the top corners and two at the bottom corners |  3) Insert zip tie into one hole |  4) Use pliers to insert zip tie through adjacent hole |
 Top zip tie holder completed. |  5) Repeat steps 3 & 4 with the second zip tie holder. |
 6) Place a note about how the community poop bag share station works on the poop bag dispenser and cover with clear contact paper (Optional.) |  7) Fasten your poop bag dispenser to an approved place* in your neighborhood or park. I used staples through the zip ties on both sides of the water bottle. |
Here is our new neighborhood poop bag share station.
*In Seattle, it is legal to temporarily post signs on certain sign and utility poles. Please check the laws in your area before posting signs or putting up community poop bag exchanges. Sometimes working with your municipality to install poop bag holders will help raise awareness and benefit more people/neighborhoods.
 Thank you to Sugar the Golden Retriever and Dogster for the great "5 Reasons Dog Owners Must Scoop That Poop" infographic. | If you have made or plan to make a poop bag share station for your neighborhood, please let us know. We would love to see and read about all of the creative ways you come up with to educate your neighbors on how left behind dog poop affects us all, those with dogs and those without. We Cascadian Nomads hope through education and working together, we can make sure that even on those days you forget a bag, you can Scoop That Poop! |
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