Learn About 'Doo the Right Thing' Pledge, Enter Dog Photo Contest Between May 1-June 30, 2022
By Office of Communication
Posted on April 28, 2022, April 28, 2022

Photo of pet owner cleaning up after their dog.

It’s time for the annual Doo the Right Thing (DTRT) contest. We are asking Arlington dog owners to take the DTRT pledge to pick up their dog’s doo and enter a photo of their dog(s). The winner of the photo contest will be the featured Watershed Protector on the DTRT Facebook page. Additional winners will be featured in daily and/or monthly posts on all the DTRT social media channels starting October 1, 2022 to September 2023.

There are estimated 1.5 million dogs in the North Central Texas Region. One pile of doo might not seem like a big deal, but a few piles a day from 1.5 million dogs is a monumental problem. Dog waste can harbor bacteria, viruses and parasites that are dangerous to people, other pets, and local wildlife. Diseases such as Salmonellosis, Yersiniosis, and Campylobacteriosis can cause serious illnesses while parasites like Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, roundworms and tapeworms cause intestinal infections and gastroenteritis in humans.

The Parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that can affect dogs of any age or breed. It is especially contagious to unvaccinated puppies and is transmitted by contact with infected dog waste both directly and indirectly. This virus can remain infectious on the ground for six months or more.

When it rains, dog waste that is not picked up gets into streams, creeks and lakes, which causes algae growth and introduces bacteria such as E. coli and fecal coliform into the waterways. This harms aquatic life and makes our local waterways unfit for human contact.

Here are some tips to help you keep your pledge:

  • Keep spare baggies in your car and on the leash. If you don’t have a portable waste bag dispenser for the leash, you can tie a regular grocery, sandwich, newspaper or produce bag around the handle.
  • Always throw bagged doo in a trash can or flush un-bagged doo down the toilet.
  • Pick up doo in your yard at least once a week and before forecasted rain.

TAKE THE PLEDGE AND SUBMIT YOUR DOG’S CUTEST PHOTO FOR OUR CONTEST!

Visit www.dfwstormwater.com/petwaste to make your pledge to pick up after your dog while on walks and at home. You can then submit your dog(s) picture for the photo contest. You can make one pledge per dog. Past pledgees and contest participants are welcome (and encouraged!) to re-pledge and submit photos for the new contest. The contest begins May 1, 2022 and ends on June 30, 2022.


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