{"id":624,"date":"2015-06-30T07:41:00","date_gmt":"2015-06-30T11:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wanted-few-good-spokesdogs-healthy-water\/"},"modified":"2022-12-03T13:37:20","modified_gmt":"2022-12-03T18:37:20","slug":"wanted-few-good-spokesdogs-healthy-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wanted-few-good-spokesdogs-healthy-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Wanted: A Few Good Spokesdogs for Healthy Water"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Above:
\nAbove: Last year\u2019s Juniata Spokesdog, Gracie, after winning the crown. Credit: PDE and Philadelphia Water.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s that time of year again, and two new neighborhoods are about to crown Philadelphia Water Spokesdogs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For 2015, Fishtown and Washington Square West were selected as competing locales for the contest, which has been selecting a special pooch to spread the word about poo-lution since 2011. We\u2019ll be accepting nominations for dogs from those neighborhoods through July 15. Guidelines and submission forms are available here<\/a>. The Spokesdog program is held annually with the help of our friends at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As always, the goal is to raise awareness about keeping dog waste out of our waterways by getting it off sidewalks, streets and grass right away with proper disposal techniques. We all know it\u2019s pretty gross (and rude!) when pet owners don\u2019t clean up after their furry friends, but many people don\u2019t think about the health consequences, especially as they relate to water.<\/p>\n

When pet waste is left on the sidewalks, streets or other surfaces, it gets washed into street-level sewer intakes by rain and ends up in our creeks and rivers completely untreated. That can lead to the presence of dangerous germs and excess nutrients that make water unsafe for recreation and more expensive to treat.<\/p>\n

Here's what the Environmental Protection Agency has to say about the impact of waste left behind<\/a> by careless pet owners:<\/p>\n

\n

Decaying pet waste consumes oxygen and sometimes releases ammonia. Low oxygen levels and ammonia can damage the health of fish and other aquatic life. Pet waste carries bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can threaten the health of humans and wildlife.\u00a0 Pet waste also contains nutrients that promote weed and algae growth (eutrophication).\u00a0 Cloudy and green, eutrophic water makes swimming and recreation unappealing or even unhealthy.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As you can see, the environmental and public health threat is serious,\u00a0and that's why\u00a0we need a top-notch doggie to help show others the importance of bagging waste and putting it in a proper receptacle.<\/p>\n

Typically, 30-80 dogs register in each neighborhood every year, so the competition is no joke. Of those, about a dozen dogs get selected for the doggie pageant, and best in show (determined with online votes in August) becomes Spokesdog.
\nWith the crown come some real responsibilities\u2014and some cool goodies.<\/p>\n

Winning spokesdogs and their caretakers will attend at least three community events in 2015, distributing information on living the eco-friendly dog life. Small bag dispensers<\/a> that clip to leashes and educational tipcards will be provided to hand out at these events. The educational tipcard explains how dog waste left on the ground breaks down and washes into local stormdrains every time it rains.<\/p>\n

\n

So, how about those prizes?<\/p>\n

The 1st Place Spokesdog\u2014\u201cPhilly Water\u2019s Best Friend\u201d\u2014gets the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 $200 prize from a local business<\/p>\n

\u2022 Image used in promotional pieces<\/p>\n

\u2022 Toy & cookie prize pack<\/p>\n

For the Runner Up (picked in case the 1st Place Spokesdog is unable to fulfill their duties):<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 $50 prize from a local business<\/p>\n

\u2022 Toy & cookie prize pack<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

All finalists in attendance at the awards ceremony will also receive a toy and cookie prize.
\nIf you know of a worthy pup from Washington Square West or Fishtown, send in your application now and vote for them to become Philly famous!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For 2015, Fishtown and Washington Square West were selected as competing locales for the contest, which has been selecting a special pooch to spread the word about poo-lution since 2011. We\u2019ll be accepting nominations for dogs from those neighborhoods through July 15. Guidelines and submission forms are available here. The Spokesdog program is held annually with the help of our friends at the Part<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"custom_css":"","custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[23,35,43,55,91,95],"class_list":["post-624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","tag-contest","tag-event","tag-green-city-clean-waters","tag-local-business","tag-spokesdog","tag-stormwater","wpautop"],"acf":{"suggested":null},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/phila.gov\/blog\/wanted-few-good-spokesdogs-healthy-water\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Wanted: A Few Good Spokesdogs for Healthy Water","url":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wanted-few-good-spokesdogs-healthy-water\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wanted-few-good-spokesdogs-healthy-water\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Community","author":[],"creator":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"@PhillyH2O Blog","logo":""},"keywords":["contest","event","green city\u201a clean waters","local business","spokesdog","stormwater"],"dateCreated":"2015-06-30T11:41:00Z","datePublished":"2015-06-30T11:41:00Z","dateModified":"2022-12-03T18:37:20Z"},"rendered":"