Philly Water Department wants dogs to carry poop message

By Sandy Bauers
Inquirer Staff Writer


Rudy stares earnestly at the camera.

Zoe looks more jaunty.

And Barkley is trying the comic approach.

All three are contenders in an effort to help the Philadelphia Water Department address a stubborn, one might even say dogged, water-quality problem.

Rudy, Zoe, and Barkley - yes, they are dogs - are among more than 30 contestants for a title that confers not only a certain doggy prestige and a $200 gift certificate to a pet-supply shop, but also the responsibility of community activism.

A winning "spokesdog" will be expected to educate less-enlightened humans about the evils of - dog waste.

It's more than a mere nuisance for those who step in it. Or smell it. Or find it in their gardens.

Dog leavings on streets and sidewalks can contribute to water-quality problems in streams.

"You wouldn't let your dog poop in your pool," said Joanne Dahme, spokeswoman for the Water Department, which is holding the contest. "But if you don't pick up after your dog, after the next rain it could wind up in the river."

Especially in Roxborough, Manayunk, and East Falls, the neighborhoods in the "spokesdog" pilot project.

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