Pet waste left to decay on sidewalks, lawns or common areas is a stinky mess!  Rain and melting snow can wash feces into storm drains, which flow directly into streams or ponds and cause a host of water quality problems.  It's not only a filthy situation; it's also unhealthy for people and the environment.  Pet waste can contain bacteria and parasites that severely sicken people, pets and wildlife.  And picking up after your pet is the law with fines reaching well over $100 for non-compliance, applicable to both dogs AND cats!  It's a law with which it's easy to comply: just bring along a plastic bag when you walk your dog.

You Can Make A Difference
First; decrease the fecal volume substantially by feeding a premium kibble, which state on the bag that its high digestibility will reduce stool volume.  Then it's easy to keep your pet from polluting both land and water.  The job of cleaning up after your pet is as simple as taking along a plastic bag or pooper-scooper on your next pet walk.  What should you do with the waste you pick up? Here are the choices:

Pick It Up!
The easiest of all is to use a plastic bag, such as a produce or newspaper bag, and then place that bag into your regular outgoing trash can.  Because people now recognize the responsibility of removing all pet waste, the market has responded with many clever, inexpensive, and small bag mechanisms to make it easy and hands-free.  Some are tiny bags, which fit into a pocket or clip onto the pet's collar or leash, or onto your belt.  There are dozens of easy ways to comply with the law.

It is also easy to use a pooper-scooper.  Many models are available from pet stores and catalogs.  Most have long handles, which prevent bending down, and have retractable handles for the remainder of the walk home.  Once home, put the excrement into a plastic bag and then into another bag for placement in your regular household trash.

Double Bag It!
Pet waste must never be disposed of in an exposed manner in a trashcan.  Instead, it must be double-bagged (e.g., the small bag containing the waste must be placed inside of a larger bag or trash can liner), in order to protect trash collectors from germs.  Another option is to install an underground pet waste digester that works like a small septic tank.  These are also available at pet stores and through catalogs.  However, they must be installed and sited properly in order to prevent attracting rodents and other pests, and to prevent bacteria from leaking into groundwater.  Be careful to place the unit 100 feet from any well, whether a neighbor's or your own.

Flush It!
For small-volume waste, this is an option.  However, it is the least preferred approach because of increased water usage, and the likelihood of other debris such as rocks, sticks, or cat litter getting into household plumbing and creating blockage problems.  However, for cats or very small dogs, this is a viable option and can work nicely for some pet owners.  A benefit is that the water from your toilet goes to a septic system or sewage treatment plant that treats your pet's pollution before reaching a lake or stream.  Reminder: be sure to separate commercial cat little before flushing.  The litter should be bagged and disposed in the regular household container.

It is the pet owner's responsibility to leave no trace of his pet for others to step in or to foul sidewalks and gardens.  Most of all - it's the law!

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The new Canine Assisted Therapy Senior Corps was introduced on March 6th at Independence Hall in Wilton Manors, Florida.  A group of eleven seniors have joined the Senior Corps to help C.A.T. evaluate dogs for therapy work.  Many seniors want to contribute to the community, but are unable to leave their home or facility, so C.A.T. is bringing the volunteer opportunity to them.  The Senior Corps was the brainchild of Lori Musto, Director of Independence Hall,  "Our seniors look forward to the C.A.T. dog visits each week.  By volunteering to assist with new therapy dog evaluations, we are helping to spread the joy we receive to others."

The dogs are not allowed contact with the Senior Corp Volunteers until they have successfully passed the first eight of the nine elements of the Evaluation.  The final element of the C.A.T. Temperament Evaluation requires the volunteer and their dog to walk through a crowd of wheel chairs and walkers to insure that the equipment does not frighten the dog.  The Senior Corps volunteers generously donated their time to be the "crowd".

Meet the Canine Assisted Therapy Senior Corp Volunteers:

The Palm Beach Dog Fanciers Association AKC All Breed Dog Show March 13th & 14th was a huge success.  We would like to thank the Association for welcoming Canine Assisted Therapy to the show and allowing us to evaluate dogs for C.A.T. Dog Certification.  Thanks to them, we will be providing many more quality C.A.T. Dog teams to serve the community.

 
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