Scoop the poop!

Wildcare Deslacs recently did a dog poo cleanup of Clifton Beach. We covered the length of the beach, from the rocks at the south end to the rocks at the north end.

Thanks go to the dedicated Wildcare members who took part. It was an unpleasant job - picking up someone else’s dog poo is not something that anyone should have to do.

The “shitistics” are startling: a total of 676 poos were collected.

The accompanying map shows where the poos were found. Most were at the top of the beach, along the edge of the marram grass zone. The greatest densities were around the entrances to the beach from the main Clifton Beach car park, next to the Surf Club, where there were almost 5 for every metre of dune edge!

Owners should know that dogs like to leave their calling cards soon after getting onto the beach but instead of picking those poos up, irresponsible dog owners have left them to accumulate.

Apart from being disgusting, dog poos lying around can be a health hazard, particularly to children, who often like to play around in the dunes. Dog faeces can carry infectious bacteria and parasites such as intestinal worms.

Wildcare Deslacs asks dog owners to please, please remember the following.

Dog poos break down VERY slowly on a beach - sand doesn’t contain all the microbes that soil does. If poos are exposed to sun on the beach they’re likely to simply dessicate. If they’re in the shade, they’ll often get covered by a disgusting furry mould. Either way, they can take many months, if not longer, to break down.
Kicking a hole in the sand and covering your dog’s poo is NOT a solution - it’ll soon be uncovered by wave action and likely washed higher up the beach.
Picking up your own dog’s poo is very simple - just carry some poo bags. Put your hand inside the clean bag, grab the poo and turn the bag inside out, then tie a knot - totally contactless. If you’re repulsed by the act of picking up poo, apparently more so than the thought of it ending up between someone else’s toes, make a wider grab and pick some sand up with it to mask the feel.
Don’t turn your back on your dog and look out to sea while pretending that you don’t know what it’s doing.
Don’t leave your full bag on the sand to “collect later on my way back”, probably to forget you left it there. Carry it with you as a badge of honour.
Finally, think of your dog’s poo as if it was your own - would you really take a dump on the beach and simply walk away?

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