Dogs, Masters to Sign On to Curb Pollution

Local canines will put their paw prints on contracts today at an Encino pet store as their owners promise to pick up their pets’ waste.

The Pet Pollution Prevention Pledge, an environmental awareness campaign organized by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, will serve as a means of encouraging dog owners to do their part in taking preventive steps to curb storm-water pollution, said Fred Rubin, assistant deputy director of the department.

“Dog waste washes from yards and streets and flows down the storm drain and directly into the ocean,” said Larry James, vice president of sales and marketing of the Azusa-based Cardinal Laboratories, owners of the CraZy Dog line of pet products and co-sponsor of the event with Petco.

“Untreated dog waste contains toxic chemical nutrients and is a common source of storm-water pollution,” James said. “That’s why beaches are closed after hard rain.”

To “sign,” dogs will have their paw prints put on individual contracts with water soluble ink. The contract reads, “I pledge to look after my owner and make sure he/she cleans up after me when we take a walk, or when I’m hanging out around the yard. The environment is important to me, and I’ll make sure my owner and I do the best we can to protect it.”

Dog owners will also have the option of using rubber stamp paw prints.

In either case, the pet’s name will be written below the paw impression.

“The whole ideal of this is to educate the public, and making them aware of what’s going on,” Rubin said. “A lot of people want to do the right thing, it’s just that they don’t know what the right thing is.”

The dog signings will take place at the Encino Petco store, 15619 Ventura Blvd., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For information, call (310) 552-6922.