Please dispose of your dog poo bags correctly
Ranger Diary by Conservation Leading Hand Kim Hammond
I have a beautiful, slightly naughty four-year-old Golden Retriever named Barney, who brings much joy to our family.
When we walk Barney, we always pick up his business, using the bags that have been generously provided by The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority.
The bags are readily available at most beach access points and are used by huge numbers of dog owners along the coast.
The Authority supplies $50,000 worth of these bags each year to help dog owners clean up after their pets and prevent faeces being left on our beautiful beaches and riverbanks.
The volume of these bags in our bins is incredible. If these faeces were left on the beach, it would result in health and pollution issues.
But dissonantly, in the course of my work and my daily walks with Barney, I have noticed a significant number of used bags are being discarded, instead of being put into the bins we provide.
Some bags are left at an access point at the start of a walk and forgotten about. I commend the people I see picking up these bags in a selfless effort to keep our beaches clean.
What most people don’t see is the numbers of these bags that have been flung into the vegetation in the sand dunes, forests and parks that we manage, dangling like Christmas tree decorations from shrubs and trees.
Many more are left within the dunes, forests and parks, and they are often difficult to collect amidst dense vegetation.
As Rangers, our work is physically demanding, yet incredibly rewarding. Our team do their utmost to enhance and protect the land we manage, and it is disappointing to be crawling through beautiful country to come face to face with a filled dog poo bag, or to almost kneel on them.
I also see plenty of these bags that have been left behind at low tide, to be picked up when the tide comes in and washed around in the ocean.
For those of us who like to swim, surf, snorkel, dive or fish in the ocean, the thought of these dog poo tea bags polluting the ocean is revolting.
I don’t understand why people would go to the effort of bagging up their dog’s poo but then leave it behind.
Please do the right thing and dispose of your dog’s business in the bins provided.
I have provided a small gallery of these bags that have been left behind or deliberately thrown out of sight.
I’m sure the native animals that inhabit these areas would also appreciate it if you considered them and helped us to keep their environment clean.
Image: Barney enjoying a walk on the beach
Image: Incorrect disposal of dog poo bag