At long last, the next Philadelphia Water Spokesdog will be crowned this weekend in Fishtown as up to 20 top dogs—selected by an impressive 4,100 online votes this fall—compete in a pageant to prove which pooch has the best chops for fighting pet waste pollution on our streets.
Our annual Spokesdog pageant will take place on Sunday, December 13 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Zoom Room, 180 West Girard Avenue, and features a panel of judges representing Philadelphia Water, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, and the Zoom Room.
Dogs and owners from this year’s neighborhoods, Fishtown and Washington Square West, will compete for the Spokesdog title and a grand prize valued at $200. Once the winner is named, the special pup will become the face of our efforts to reduce pollution caused by bad pet waste habits. That means being featured on our educational materials (fame!) and meeting with community groups to talk about proper disposal.
Pet waste is an important issue for Philadelphia Water. When people don’t clean up after their dogs, that waste gets washed into our storm drains and rivers, where it can cause all sorts of problems for people and wildlife.
With the average dog producing about 200 pounds of waste every year, the negative impacts that come from improper disposal can add up quickly—especially in dog-crazy neighborhoods like Fishtown and Washington Square West.
If you’re still not convinced, see what the Environmental Protection Agency has to say about the impact of waste left behind by careless pet owners by clicking here.
The good news is that good manners—picking up after your pet and putting the waste in the trash—is all it takes to fight pet waste poo-llution.
And, with the help of our next Spokesdog, we know we can spread the word about being good watershed stewards and keeping pet waste out of our rivers!
Big thanks to the Zoom Room for hosting this fun event!
