Dear Editor,

We are K-2 students in the Tonasket Outreach Program. There is dog waste on our schoolyard. We are upset! We researched and thought of reasons why this is not good.

• If your town has a lot of waste no one would want to be around.

• You could get dog waste on your feet!!

• Dog waste can get washed into street drains and go into our rivers or creeks. It can spread to fish and humans.

• Bacteria and worms can get humans sick!

• If a puppy eats other dogs’ waste and gets sick it can die.

• It may not decompose until 4 years. Then it will be bad.

We have some ideas for clean up. Maybe there could be a Clean Up Day for dog waste. In your own yard, you could use pooper scoopers—there are different kinds. On a walk, dog owners could carry plastic bags. You can stick your hand in a clean bag, then use it like a glove to pick up the waste. Turn it inside out to carry it and then throw it away or flush it down the toilet.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Olson’s K-2 Students

Tonasket Outreach Program