Taking care of business - #lakewoodnews

One big difference between domesticated animals, like dogs, and wild animals is because of what we feed dogs, their waste doesn't biodegrade.

The City of Lakewood and Jeffco Open Space are partnering to share this and other facts to encourage people to pick up after their dogs in parks and trails as part of the new "Let's Doo It!" campaign.

"Dog waste being left by people is a prevalent problem in all our parks, and becoming more so with the population growth we're seeing," said Katie Matthews, community connections supervisor with Jeffco Open Space. "More and more people are bringing dogs, which means more park usage."

The campaign placed "Let's Doo It!" symbols on signs, magnetic stickers, dog waste dispensers and products to remind people of the importance of picking-up.

"Because of the chemicals and processing of our dog foods, uncollected waste can pollute groundwater if left too long," Matthews said. "This campaign encourages everyone, not just park rangers, to clean up."

Dog waste in Lakewood's parks was becoming an issue the city was hearing more and more about from citizens, said Allison Scheck, marketing and community relations manager in Lakewood's Community Resources Department.

"We heard that Jeffco was launching this program, and we reached out to them about working together," Scheck said. "This is a real partnership, and we're hoping other jurisdictions come on board."

There are two areas the campaign wants to focus on - people who don't pick up waste at all, and those who bag the waste, but then leave it on the ground or the side of the trail.

The goal of "Let's Doo It!" is education, and the two organizations have found a fun way to do this with a music video featuring students of McLain Community High School. The video is set to a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lookin' Out My Back Door" by area band 2 Dog Tuesday.

Jeffco Public Schools students and teacher Bill Ross have already started by recently cleaning up Crown Hill Park as part of a "Tour of Dooty and Beauty" event.

Jeffco Open Space Park Ranger Luke Wilson led the students on a hike around the park, according to information provided by Scheck, and provided insight as to why it's so important to pick up dog waste for public safety, the environment and the visitor experience.

The students held signs such as "Dog Doo May Contain Harmful Organisms" and "Dog Doo Wastes Scenery," with the hashtags #smellyfacts and #letsdooit.

There are many fun ideas to spread the word to come, Scheck said, and both organizations are excited about the possibilities.

"Cleaning up waste is kind of a funny thing to talk about, so we decided to have some fun with it," Matthews said. "This is a way for all of us to come together and take care of our pets and parks."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Taking-care-of-business-with-Lets-Doo-It-campaign,221012