Pet Waste Outreach - Working for Cleaner Beaches and Waterways through our SCOOP (Seacoast Canine Owners Outreach Program) Program!
After seeing pile, after pile, after pile! of dog poop at our monthly beach cleanups during thewinter, we wanted to do something about it! Thanks to funding from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, we have developed SCOOP to increase awareness of the environmental impact of abandoned pet waste on Seacoast, NH beaches.
We hope to continue the ability for people and their pets to enjoy beaches and public areas - and to keep these areas clean through encouraging responsible management of pet waste.
As part of the project, we are working with the NH-based dog biscuit company Barkin' Biscuit, which agreed to donate dog biscuits for us to hand out to pet owners, along with biodegradable pet waste bags, to spread awareness of the pet waste problem.
Project Goals
Track dog waste on the beach and public areas near waterways,focusing on towns in the NH Seacoast region
Conduct outreach to increase awareness and decrease the amount of dog waste on the beach and in public areas.
Hopefully, this will result in less dog waste on the beach, and a cleaner beach for everyone to enjoy!
Since 2006, close to 3,000 dog 'piles' have been recorded during 1,008 cleanups – that averages about 3 piles of dog poop per beach cleanup!
Check Out Our Project Video, "Beach Karma"!
Funding for this project was provided in part by a Watershed Assistance Grant from the NH Department of Environmental Services with Clean Water Act Section 319 funds from the US Environmental Protection Agency
Major sponsors: Ryan Cultrera of Small Town Pictures, Barkin Biscuit, Bedford, NH and Darci Creative, Portsmouth, NH
Supporting Businesses
Thanks to the following businesses and organizations who are supporting SCOOP by handing out free dog biscuits and information. Get a free sample dog biscuit and info at the businesses below!:
Eyelook Optical, Portsmouth
Macro Polo, Portsmouth
North Hampton Town Hall
Ocean Valley Veterinary Hospital, Stratham, NH
Oyster River Veterinary Hospital, Lee, NH
Pawcassos by the Sea, North Hampton
Pet City, Seabrook, NH
Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital, Portsmouth, NH
Want to get involved? E-mail info (at) blueoceansociety.org, or call 603-431-0260
GET INVOLVED!
SCOOP is counting on the dog owners of the Seacoast to help protect our marine environment and volunteer for our upcoming community events, appear in our video presentations and assist at our fundraisers. Together, we can all help prevent pet waste being left to contaminate our coastline here on the Seacoast.
We also need canine models to represent Scoopy Doo, SCOOP’s official campaign mascot. Think your dog is cute enough to be in movies, or be featured online with their own bio? We want to hear from you!
For further information on how you can help, contact Steve Johnson, Special Projects Coordinator: steve@blueoceansociety.org or by phone at the BOS Office line at 603-431-0260.
Stuff you didn't really want to know...
One gram of dog waste contains 23 million fecal coli form bacteria (www.stormwatercenter.net)
95% of fecal coli form found in urban storm water was of non-human origin (USEPA, 1993)
Pet waste is harmful to water supplies. Rain washes pet waste carrying harmful bacteria to rivers, beaches, and bays via storm drains. Enough bacteria can cause water to be unsafe for drinking and swimming, and can contribute to the closure of shellfish beds.
Using DNA fingerprinting techniques, “Microbial Source Tracking” bacteria can be matched from water samples to humans as well as wild and domestic animals. Dog waste has been the predominant contaminant source identified at several sites in New Hampshire. Using the DNA fingerprinting, it can actually be tracked to the species of the dog!
Reduce the Effects of Dog Waste
1. Always pick up after your pet!
2. Never put pet waste in a storm drain, as they drain directly to a local water body.
3. Instead, place the poop in a trash bag or bury it in your yard at least 5 inches in the ground and away from vegetable gardens and waterways.
4. Participate in our slogan & art contest! We’re looking for students to design a logo and slogan for our pet waste outreach campaign.
5. Be a beach ambassador! We’re looking for volunteers to help hand out dog biscuits on the beach and at local fairs and festivals. For more information, call 603-431-0260 or e-mail info@blueoceansociety.org.
Project Data & Reports
From August 23, 2007 through December 31, 2008, we conducted a pet waste outreach project funded by NH Dept. of Environmental Services. During this time period, 227 beach cleanups were conducted at sites along the New Hampshire coast, most of which were 1/3 mile in length. At each cleanup, volunteers recorded the types of trash they found, including dog waste.
An average of 4 dog piles was found per cleanup, with a great increase in the number of piles found in the winter and spring.
The month with the highest number of dog piles found was April 2008, with an average of 14 piles per cleanup. The month with the least number of dog piles was September 2007, when an average of 0.5 piles were found per cleanup.
We hope to continue our pet waste outreach program, including continuing to track trends in dog waste on beaches and handing out dog biscuits and biodegradable waste bags.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to NH Department of Environmental Services for funding this project!
Thanks to Karen Goldthwaite of Barkin' Biscuit who has agreed to donate dog biscuits as part of our outreach efforts.
Thanks to Darci Creative for donating time in creation of our logo and ads for SCOOP
Thanks to Tim Barretto of Dover, NH, who suggested our initial (2007-2008) project slogan.
Thanks to the Hampton Beach Village District for funding additional project materials and handing out biscuits and bags!
After seeing pile, after pile, after pile! of dog poop at our monthly beach cleanups during thewinter, we wanted to do something about it! Thanks to funding from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, we have developed SCOOP to increase awareness of the environmental impact of abandoned pet waste on Seacoast, NH beaches. 
