Pet Tracks
DOO DILLIGENCE
with Jan Jaeger
We may love our dogs, but no one loves stepping in dog poop. Dog feces contaminate all our open spaces - the beaches, the moors, the meandering dirt roads, the favored dog walks of Sanford Farm and Tuppancy Links. At any time, those who make the rules regarding these spaces can get fed up with the disrespect dog walkers show their properties and limit accessibility.

And so this season begins with yet another nail into the coffin of pet freedoms. The Parks and Recreation Commission, responsible for a number of public beaches and parks, has lowered the boom. Dogs are no longer welcome during the summer at their properties. Following their recently announced decision to bar dogs from their beaches, this past weekend signs appeared at Children's Beach, stating "No Dogs Allowed on Grass."

Parks and Rec Director, Jimmy Manchester, thinks the restriction at Children's Beach just makes good sense. "During warmer weather, this park area receives heavy use. People picnic, attend concerts, watch movies, or come to enjoy the view. If there is animal waste, who wants to sit on the grass or worry about their child being

exposed."

He is pleased that the announced

ban on dogs at the beaches has created such a stir. "Regardless of how you feel about the decision, it's getting people to think and realize there is a problem. We are dealing with health, comfort and safety issues. It is my job to see that our public spaces are maintained in a quality manner for everyone to enjoy. If this causes one person to commit to clean up and dispose of dog waste, then we have made our point."

The Nantucket Conservation Foundation, the organization which manages the extremely popular Sanford Farm and Tuppancy Links dog-walking destinations, has tried to make it easy. Rolls of plastic bags, which the Foundation provides, are available at the main parking entrances to these properties. The Foundation pays private trash haulers to regularly empty the conveniently located receptacle.

According to Executive Director, Jim Lentowski, "Having the bags accessible has helped a lot, but there is still a nagging minority who absolutely refuse to cooperate by picking up after their dogs. And it's those people who are eventually going to spoil it for everyone." He continues, "We understand that people with pets want a place to walk their dogs, to socialize with their dogs and other dog owners, but they have to realize that everyone who uses these spaces is not there for the same reason. Our visitors have different perspectives."

This is not just a summertime problem, according to Lentowski, who claims the use, and abuse, at Sanford Farm and Tuppancy Links is consistent year-round. He also offers another interesting observation. "People will alter their behavior to fit the local norms. If they see people walking their dogs on leashes and picking up after them, they will comply. Conversely, if people are ignoring the rules, then that behavior will prevail. It's going to take peer pressure to raise our local standards."

However, there is one person who is willing to stand and deliver, and that is Bill Connell, a seasonal resident who has made cleaning up Nantucket his raison d'étre. As a result of his commitment and enthusiasm, the Clean Team was organized with help from Co-Captains Sarah Oktay and Grant Sanders. Now into its fourth summer, Clean Team participants number over 100.

Bill is effusive about Clean Team accomplishments. "We meet every Saturday morning from May to November for just one hour, from 8:00-9:00am, or for whatever time can be spared. Each week we focus on a different location. This past Saturday, about 20 people gathered to clean Jetties Beach and the dunes. You wouldn't believe what we took out of there - a toaster oven, tires, bags and bags of bottles and trash." By 9:20am, the mountain of trash had been hauled off to the landfill.

When asked about incorporating a Poop Patrol into his already existing organization, Bill's answer was a resounding, "Yes!" So, here is the challenge. Let's get the poop off the ground and put it where it belongs. To volunteer for the Poop Patrol, contact Bill Connell directly at 228-8785, or e-mail wconnell@connellwiener.com. You can also e-mail me or stop in the shop to sign up.

There are no fees to join the Clean Team, just be willing to make Nantucket a more pleasant and attractive place to live and play and give a few minutes of your time. Information about the weekly meeting place is relayed by e-mail and supplies are provided on site. I applaud Bill for his energy and commitment to his cause and hope many dog owners out there will support the Clean Team efforts by their presence.

Fellow dog owners, we need to clean up our collective mess. We must also insist on ongoing compliance with poop pick up. Carry a plastic bag with you at all times and have a spare to share. If we continue to disregard the sanitary and aesthetic implications of leaving dog waste, we risk further restrictions and loss of a major benefit of living on Nantucket. I have said it before, and I will say it again: enjoyment of our open spaces with our dogs is a privilege, not a right. Whether we get to keep those privileges is up to us.

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop, and is a member of DWAA and CWA (Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and three cats. At the shop are cats Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower bunny, Millie guinea pig and two budgies. Send email to jan@geronimos.com. I