Dear editor,
We are a group of fifth grade students at Bates Elementary school. We have an important message for the Wellesley community. Dog poop is bad for the environment. We have been researching how dog poop can affect the ecosystem in Wellesley and how we, as a community, can help solve the problem.
Have you ever been out walking in your neighborhood and stepped in dog poop that somebody left behind on the sidewalk or grass? It’s disgusting. Dog poop can carry parasites and bacteria. For example, it can carry tapeworms which can spread to humans. Do you want to carry tapeworm eggs into your house? That is really gross! Leaving your dog’s poop in your yard can also have consequences. Bacteria, parasite eggs, and larvae can grow and live near your house. Dog poop also contains many chemicals like phosphorus and nitrogen. You’re responsible for picking up your dog’s poop so that these chemicals don’t get into our environment.
When dog poop enters our ecosystem, it can lead to a series of hazardous problems. Due to a dog’s diet, including commercial dog food and kibble, their poop contains extra nutrients. These nutrients don’t belong in our ecosystem. When they are present they can cause invasive plants like bittersweet and garlic mustard to grow out of control and kill plants native to our environment. Don’t blame it on your dog though, this is completely your fault, not your adorable innocent dog’s. When you don’t pick up your dog’s waste, it can also turn into road run-off, and all of the bacteria and chemicals end up in our wetlands and water sources.
You as a dog owner might be wondering, “How can I help?” Like us, you can spread the word to try to make people pick up their dog’s poop. You can also put many bags on your pet’s leash so they are available when needed. Pick up your pet’s poop with a bag, disposable gloves, or a scooper. Seal the poop in one or two plastic bags and place in trash.
People leave dog poop on the ground for different reasons. Sometimes they forget to bring dog bags, but if they do see a box that has dog poop bags in it, they should use them! People also leave their dog’s poop on the ground because they are lazy, or they make excuses saying, “Oh well, I didn’t see my dog,” or, “I was rushing so I couldn’t pick it up.” Other people might think dog poop is fertilizer, but they shouldn’t because it causes some plants to grow out of control and others like grass and clovers to die. This is why you should be responsible for your dog’s waste! It can cause lots of damage to Wellesley’s ecosystem.
We at Bates hope that our Wellesley community can help to solve the problem of dog poop in our environment.
Sincerely,
A group of concerned Bates fifth graders
