Warringah Council in eastern Sydney has a reputation for progressive environmental management of dog litter. The Council considers its 1312 hectares of public open space including nine beaches and four lagoons to be a precious community resource. They believe it should be protected for both dog owners and for those people who do not have dogs.¹

Warringahís initiatives (photograph) will interest any council that wants to limit dog litter in parks:

ï corporate sponsored dog litter bins in parks which simultaneously educate and provide the means for dog owners to conform to community expectations

ï park entrance pooch patches which signal to dogs and their owners: ëDo it first, bin the faeces and then enjoy the outing.í 

ï release of selected dung beetles (photograph) species into park areas so that whatever falls outside the dog litter bins is dealt with by the beetles

These environmentally friendly responses to the problem can be supplemented by other measures such as the leaving some grass areas unmown. Dogs are attracted to such areas for defecating whereas people will tend to stay on mown areas. Dog loos are another option. These pet faeces disposal units are installed over a pit in the ground. Only the foot operated lid and its surround are visible from above. Decomposition occurs naturally in the pit, thus eliminating the need for refuse collection. Providing free poo paks at park entrances is yet another option. These and other measures are outlined in Public Open Space and Dogs.²

All these solutions assume that whatever faeces are produced must be dealt with, one way or another. A different approach would be to try to reduce the volume of faeces. Since smaller dogs produce less faeces, community education programs to encourage people to choose smaller dogs may reduce faeces in parks.

Of all the options canvassed above, encouraging owners to use litter bins is probably the most practical. Owners who are prepared to ëstoop and scoopí are the greatest asset of all.

People pressure, dog owner attitudes, park land topography, types of ground cover and recreational applications will all have a bearing on how a local authority deals with dog litter. Finding solutions is going to be more critical for some authorities than others. As with leash laws, the first job for councils dealing with the issue of dog litter is to decide whether or not they want some form of dog litter management or not.

If the answer is ëNoí, well thatís that. Move on to the next item on the agenda.

If on the other hand it is ëYesí, a municipality-wide strategy needs to be developed so the commitment translates into action. Each council will need to arrive at its own best mix of regulation and enforcement, community education, facility provision, service provision and efficient administration to achieve its desired objectives.

Early in the planning process, councils will need to decide what exactly is the issue to be addressed. With faecal litter in public open space, there are two separate aspects:

ï the aesthetic offence of faecal litter in public open space

ï the associated risk of pet animal zoonoses (diseases transmitted from animals to humans)

Community consultation requires informed discussion

In community consultation, each of these aspects will be raised, sometimes by people basing their arguments on public misconceptions rather than facts. To keep the community consultation process on the rails, it is important that council officials have a sound understanding of both aspects. This may involve them in gathering data on community attitudes to faecal litter, and also in gaining some understanding of the risk of pet zoonoses.

1. Pert T-A. 1996. Initiatives for the environment. In: Hassett S, editor. Urban Animal Management: proceedings of the Fifth National Conference on Urban Animal Management in Australia (Sydney, 1996). Sydney: AVA: 47-50.

2. Harlock Jackson Pty Ltd, Blackshaw JK, Marriott J. 1995. Public Open Space and Dogs: a design and management guide for open space professionals and local government. Melbourne: Petcare Information and Advisory Service.