Smells like success! We installed our 100th pet waste station

The County’s Pet Waste Management Program is happy to announce that 100 pet waste stations have been installed at Homeowner Associations throughout the County.  

The program, started in 2013 by the Department of Environmental Protection, uses pet waste stations to educate and addresses issues caused by pet waste being left on the ground.  As more and more people walk their dogs and do not pick up the poop left on the ground it all adds up.

• It is estimated that about 40 percent of people walking a dog do NOT pick up after their dog
• In Montgomery County, based on the number of dogs, that equals to 20 to 25 tons of pet waste being left on the ground. That is the equivalence of close to one trash truck of dog poop per day being left on the ground!
• Pet waste left on the ground causes high levels of bacteria in our streams.

Using the 100th station for the first time!

The 100th Station

After 5 years, DEP hit a major milestone by working with 30 Homeowner Associations to install 100 stations, Together, those stations have collected 68,153 lbs of pet waste, the equivalence of 1 and ½ trash trucks. While it is a small dent in the overall poop problem, it is also just the beginning. 

In addition to installing the stations, outreach is conducted to all the residents in the communities.  The communities adopt the stations and continue to maintain them making this program low cost and allowing us to reach more communities for years to come.   

As you walk your dog, please remember to scoop it, bag it, and put it in the trash!