TO CERTAIN DOG OWNERS OF SQUAMISH: In a town with beautiful views I, for one, am fed up of having to stare at the ground everywhere I go so I don't step in what your dog has left behind! Dog poop seems to be a problem I deal with on a daily basis and did you know that pet waste is not only a health hazard but also contaminates our water sources? According to dogtalk101.blogspot.com, "Nearly two decades ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified pet waste as a dangerous pollutant in the same category as toxic chemicals and oil... You may not live near water, but unscooped poop from your yard is carried by overland water flow or is washed into storm drains, ending up in faraway streams, rivers and ground water."
They also state that "pet waste is teeming with E. Coli and other harmful bacteria including fecal coliform bacteria, which causes serious kidney disorders, intestinal illness, cramps and diarrhea in humans. (There are 23 million fecal coliform bacteria in a single gram of pet waste!) Dog poop often contains roundworm larvae, which cause blindness. If a human ingests a roundworm larva, it can migrate through the body causing disease to the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, heart or eyes. So when people (especially children) touch soil, dog toys or anything that has been in contact with dog feces and then touch their mouths, they can become infected."
Thank you to the district for imposing a $75 fine for not scooping the poop - will this make much of a difference? Dog owners - thank you to the ones that make the effort and pick up after their dog but to the ones that are too lazy to bother or find some sort of excuse, get to it!
Katy Keeler
Squamish
