Dog Group: Be a Good Neighbor - Scoop the Poop

Help clean up Watertown by scooping your dog's poop.

The Watertown Health Department and the Watertown Dog Park Task Force will distribute lawn signs saying "Poop Happens - Just Not Here, Please!" and "No Poop Zone!" They are meant to encourage people to clean up after their dogs in an effort to make the town more healthy.

Thomas Cusick of the Watertown Animal Hospital warns that diseases and parasites can be transmitted from dogs to humans through their excrement.

“There is transmission of disease from animals to humans when people are exposed to the stool of animals with parasites," Cusick said in a release from the Health Department. "The worms or parasites are the largest risk to children who are more likely to put their hands in their mouths after playing in the dirt." 

In addition to infecting humans and pets by direct contact, leaving stool on the ground permits the pathological organisms to enter the water system in the run-off after rain or snow, according to the announcement.

The health concerns are the reason that Watertown's requires that dog owners must pick-up after their dogs and dispose of the waste in the trash, and why the law prohibits dogs in parks or on school grounds. 

Dog park proponents want a place for dogs to go instead of parks and school grounds.

To get a sign, stop by the Watertown Health Department table at Faire on the Square on Sept. 28. They will be available at no charge for Watertown dog owners who have licensed their dogs.