NORFOLK
A new downtown litter campaign makes doggy doo a doggy don't.
Bright yellow bag dispensers for dog waste have been attached to many trash cans around downtown by the Downtown Norfolk Council.
"See Spot. See Spot Run. See Spot... uh, oh," the dispensers read.
More residents downtown means more pets downtown - and pet waste.
"We're really growing up as a city," said Mary Miller, the council's vice president.
The number of downtown residents has jumped more than 1,000, to 3,800, since 2000. Another 800 residential units have been announced or are under construction.
"There's an interesting juxtaposition down here in the evenings," Miller said.
"At 10 or 11 at night, you'll see some people in shorts and T-shirts walking dogs and others who are dressed to kill for an event or a night spot," she said
Visitors and residents must tread carefully. Every day, the council's clean team crew stumbles across a pile left behind on a downtown sidewalk, said Rod McLeod, the council's operations director.
For the most part, pet owners clean up after their animals, he said. But some don't.
The council has invested about $5,600 in the "See Spot" campaign.
Bag dispensers have been attached to 25 trash cans, with a concentration around residential buildings. In one week, 400 bags were used from two different locations.
The council's public safety ambassadors are also distributing small, portable bag containers to dog owners on the streets.
The not-for-profit group, which is funded by membership dues and a special taxing district, also recently started another special clean-up campaign - scraping gum off downtown sidewalks.
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
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what about the cats?
People let their cats out to roam free and crap wherever they feel like; flower beds, lawns, the street, sidewalks, etc. Why don't people have to walk their cats on a leash and "pick up" after them too?
The Next Norfolk Innovation:
Since they already do have a special team for removing gum from the sidewalks and streets, the next thing I expect to hear from Norfolk is a special POO PATROL! They can't have all those fancy people in those condos picking up their own poo, they have to have a special team of people do it for them funded by the taxpayers. It would only make sense in Norfolk . . .
Free Samwich Bags?
Be careful, Ethan. Those bags might contain some free brownies.
Petrified dog poo
I wonder why the downtown council didn't get with the Ernie Morgan center or another environmental group and come up with a paper bag design that would bio-degrade instead of plastic bags. A shame. All that will be let of our planet centuries from now will be petrified dog poo!
Forget the dogs..
Forget the dogs, now I know where I can go for supplies to pack my lunch in the downtrodden economy. Free samwich bags mmmmm.
Small price to pay
There are 230,000 people in Norfolk and half are on public assistance. That leaves 115,000 tax payers. I am sure most people in downtown Norfolk would gladly pay an extra penny in taxes to not step in a steaming pile of poop.
Everyone posting here is already giving their .02 worth.
Paper or Plastic?
More plastic bags blowing around the streets. The whole purpose of "walking your dog" down a city street is so it can relieve itself there instead of on your condo carpet.
D.O.W.N.T.O.W.N.
When you're alone
And life is making you lonely,
You can always go downtown
When you've got worries,
All the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know, downtown
Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose?
Petula Clark could add another verse to that song now, putting poop to lyrics. You gotta love it!
Sounds like a good job
For prisoners in the Norfolk jail to do. They should put them to scraping all the gum off the streets too. It should be cheaper than the other methods Norfolk is using.
Poopie bags...
The large number of missing poopie bags are probably being used to sell pot. What person is going to stick their hand or face in a poopie bag to check for drugs when the potential for much worse is present. Just my thoughts...L.
but im glad someone is doing
but im glad someone is doing something about these dogs....im sure Mike Vick would be proud....
lmao...homeless people are
lmao...homeless people are cool...
love the priorities in this town!!
It's cute..a well-intentioned idea..so if most responsible owners bring(recycle) bags for Rover, couldn't the city find a better thing for the money?? I know the dispensers will go away once the money for replacement baggies is gone.
Planned Doggie Droppings
I always had my dog relieve himself next to a neighbor's car door, where it would be stepped in as my neighbor got into his car in the wee hours of the morning.
here's the solution
Collect the offending pets. Slaughter them in a city-operated facility - there's a perfect lot for this directly adjacent to Peta's headquarters. Allow proprietors to serve new flavors of Pho noodle soup across the city. Problem solved.
Bright yellow bag dispensers for BS waste have been attached ..
...to the front of Paul "pass me another porkchop" Riddick's Council seat!
this story...
This story has gone to the dogs.
hey I have an idea
Council should get with the tourist assoc, and advertise free doggie doo bags. That's sure to increase the lacking tourism in Norfolk.
Time to clean up your animal mess
This is a good development. People need to clean up their dogs mess. Our family recently just moved. At our old address at the corner of oxford and sir walter circle in Kings Grant all the neigbors just let their animals do whatever they wanted in our yard. I was at my end, I should have called Andy Fox. Heck our kids could not even play in their own yard due to the animal waste. So remember to clean up your dogs waste and avoid the so called high class people in Kings Grant.
Poop Comments
The comments were better than the story itself. lol
another downtown perk
Free dog poop bags. Maybe they can buy a machine that will suck up the poop like they are doing with the gum. Don't you think?
better than doing nothing...
Can I get one of those bag dispensers for my next door neighbor to use???
Ethan
That comment was unnecessary and crude.
Big Waste....
of time and money on Norfolk's part. Those of us that are responsible pet owners bring clean up materials with us when we walk our pets. Having bags attached to trash cans won't make one bit of difference for those that don't clean up after their animals. It will however, create more litter as pranksters remove all of the bags and send them flying down the street with the first gust of wind.
You are creating...
...a MONSTER!!!....The $8000.00 + someone to operate gum picker upper...and now doggie doo bags...what's next???... roving doormen...quarter dispensers attached to parking meters???, everything is beautiful in Downtown Norfolk!!! meanwhile...WC- Southern folks are told to handle issues on thier own and are stuck on the back burner... Don't be too surprised when you find out we have started our own milatia and are preparing to succede...City is soooo...out of touch with the mass!!!
ps...please do not clean the gum from my sidewalk!!!!...it's holding the broken concrete pieces together!!!!
Maybe
Maybe those piles that were left on the sidewalk aren't from pets, but are from homeless people.
Craptax-Dumpmeter
Once again,take it to the tax payers.Create a sin tax on dog mess. All those who have a dog in the city(Gold Zone) registered should pay a tax until the problem is solved.They can have peta people standing by dump sites and collecting for us? Sometimes the city just needs to be direct and not worry how a small number of residents are going to feel and fine the problem away.Wake-up.They can always put out signs and direct to nearest dump-site,Blue Bird Park?Have them put money in machine before entering?Dumpmeter?