Recently The Telegraph gave a “thumbs down” to the amount of dog poop irresponsible pet owners are leaving on local trails. There are a few of us out there who have been trying to pick up after everyone else’s dogs but it’s getting to be an overwhelming burden. Animas Mountain, Dalla, Junction Creek, Hidden Valley, the River Trail, the dog park, etc. are all becoming mountains of poop!

For all the Durango dog owners who claim to care about the environment the time has come for them to be responsible for cleaning up after their dogs. We are beginning a “Scoop the Poop” campaign and welcome other groups and individuals (calling dog owners!) to join our campaign – please spread the word!

Dog feces can contain E. coli, ghiardia, parvovirus and various parasites. The poop left on our trails does not just disappear – the portion that doesn’t end up on someone’s shoe worked it’s way into our streams and rivers as the snow melts. The Environmental Protection Agency claims dog feces is one of the biggest contributors of bacterial pollution in our water supply. For those of you who were upset about the Gold King Mine Spill – here’s something that you can do to help our river on your own!

Dog feces take over a year to decompose and are never good fertilizer. What doesn’t get washed out ends up as breeding grounds for flies! Think maggots, folks! So, whether you are a bicycle, running, hiking, have a small dog, a big dog, or five dogs, please scoop the poop! Whether your dog goes on the trail, or off the trail scoop the poop! For some extra good karma – pick up what the person before you “forgot!” Most dogs will go in the first thousand feet of the trail and most trailheads have both bags and a garbage can. If not, carry an extra few bags tied to your dog’s leash and dispose of it when you get home.

The wonderful trails in Durango belong to all of us – so let’s make them beautiful again!

Melanie Kelly

Professional Pet Sitter

Durango