This is the second time that Whistler realtor Susie Frank is attempting to organize a dog poo pickup day on the Valley Trail. She tried about five years ago, but only four people showed up.
This year on Pitch In Day, Saturday, April 25, she's hoping for a much bigger turnout for "April Stool's Day" as local anger over dog waste reaches a new zenith. It's a dirty job, she says, but somebody has to do it.
"For me it's an interesting social experiment," she said. "So many people are complaining about it, but nobody wants to do anything about it. It will be an unpleasant job, no question, but it will be interesting to see who comes out."
Frank will provide volunteers with buckets and plastic shovels to scoop and scrape dog waste from the Valley Trail network, and later in the day municipal workers will pick up the buckets and take the waste to the composter. She hopes to complete all 35 kilometres of paved trail network, as well as the trails on Whistler Golf Course.
Mountain Hound Lounge will provide free dog sitting for half a day for volunteers, which Frank says was key to the whole project. WAG also supports the initiative, although its volunteers will be busy that day with the annual dog parade.
Frank would like to do the work between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturday, April 25, meeting at the Mountain Hound Lounge after 8:30 a.m. All volunteers are welcome, but Frank would like to know who is interested in helping out in advance so she knows how many buckets and shovels she'll need to purchase. E-mail Susie@wrec.com or call 932-1368 if you can take part.
"I think everybody is pretty fed up with the situation with dog poo on our trails, and it reflects badly on the dog lovers who do pick up after their pets," said Frank. "I hope to set an example for others, and maybe bring some attention to the issue while showing that there are responsible dog owners out there."
