Making Their Duty His Duty

It probably should come as no surprise in a city that uses goats as part of its fire-prevention program that Laguna Beach is battling urban runoff with a professional pooper scooper.

Entre-Manure Dog Waste Removal Service of Dana Point has a contract with the city to remove droppings from the dog park and in the Top of the World neighborhood.

In addition to making these areas more aesthetically pleasing, the city hopes that the reduction in dog waste means less contaminated runoff flowing to its shoreline.

“We want places that we all frequent to be clean of dog fecal matter, and it’s obvious that at these locations, during the rainy season, it will wash right down into the canyons and the arroyos and onto the beach,” said Wayne Baglin, mayor of Laguna Beach.

That’s where Craig Stern, founder of Entre-Manure, comes in.

In January, the city awarded him a contract to clean the dog park and Top of the World areas once a month. In about five hours, he scooped 50 pounds of droppings.

“I’m happy to report that’s 50 pounds of concentrated pollution that will never make it out to the ocean,” he said.

Runoff From Waste Contaminates the Ocean

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, urban runoff is the No. 1 cause of coastal pollution. Laguna Beach has the same runoff problem as other coastal communities in Southern California.

The toxic mix of pet waste, fertilizer, metals and other pollutants is washed from streets and lawns, and flows to the ocean.

The dog park and Top of the World areas were selected because both are known for having excessive dog waste, and heavy rains easily flush the waste into the ocean.

Laguna Beach is known for offbeat solutions to environmental problems. The city’s decision to hire Stern for $100 a month is only the latest example. Goats eat a 200- to 300-foot-wide swath of brush around the city’s perimeter to serve as a firebreak.

The city was among the first in Southern California to divert its storm drain runoff into the sewer system, rather than allowing it to flow unimpeded into the ocean.

“To make a change, we all have to be creative,” Baglin said. “This is one of those things that’s very creative.”

Stern, an avid bicyclist, said he always felt disgusted when he ran into piles of manure on trails. He started his company about six months ago after reading a newspaper article about a similar enterprise.

On Thursday, Stern scoured the Top of the World area for pet droppings. Wearing rubber gloves and a surgical mask, he began raking and shoveling waste into a pooper-scooper lined with a plastic bag. Before long, he bagged 18 pounds.

Most people pick up after their pets, and the few who don’t give the rest a black eye, he said. “Most dog owners are responsible and hate to have that stigma on them from the ones that are flagrant,” Stern said.

Stern hopes to persuade other coastal cities and Orange County to buy his services. His company’s motto? “No. 1 in the No. 2 business.”