Watch Where You Step …

Pulscher's dogs Georgia (Vizsla, age 10) and Dixie (German Shorthair Pointer, age 5) making a VIP appearance at Nokomis community center.

By Meredeth Barzen

You know how it feels when you’re on a lovely little walk with your dog, having a grand old time and—EEEW!—you have to execute a very quick sidestep maneuver—or shove your walking companion out of the way—to avoid someone else’s dog’s poop.

“This is why people think dogs are a nuisance,” you say to yourself. But not only does failing to pick up after your dog make dog owners look like bad citizens; it’s bad for the water in our streams and lakes as well. That’s why the Minneapolis Park and Recreation board launched the “Canines for Clean Water” summer movie series—the most enjoyable way to crack down on improperly managed dog poop ever conceived.

A conscientious owner and her dog sign the Clean Water pledge at the Nokomis community center.

Dog-themed movies (“Because of Winn Dixie” and “Scooby Doo” are past examples) are shown at a handful of Minneapolis’ lovely parks, and dogs and their people can show up a little early to participate in some fun dog-friendly activities and take a pledge to keep dog poop off the ground and out of the water. Plus, your signature (and your dog’s paw print) earns you a free water bottle from the Park board.

“Objectives (of the program) are to get dog owners to understand the negative impacts of dog poop on water quality (not to mention aesthetics and the ability to walk barefoot or not get dog poop on your shoes), as well as have dog owners make or renew their commitments to bag up dog poop and put it in the trash,” says MaryLynn Pulscher, who coordinates the environmental education programs for Minneapolis Park and Rec.

She points out that more than 100,000 dogs call Minneapolis home, and that create an estimated 41,000 pounds of solid waste every day. According to Pulscher, the park board has to close down a swimming beach if it tests for more than 1,260 E. coli—a pile of dog poop contains millions of the nasty little critters. That means that if you leave your dog’s doo doo to wash into a lake even once, you could ruin some serious summer fun for others.

There are only two more movies left for this summer, so catch them while you can: on August 25, “Beverly Hill Chihuahua” is showing at Painter Park on Lyndale Ave. and 34th St. (Canine Companions will be holding a dog-wash before the movie, which starts at dusk.) And on August 26, “Bolt” is playing at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park (on the east end of the Stone Arch Bridge), and Wild Honey and the Locusts will be playing live beginning at 7 p.m.

And please, for the reputation of dog owners everywhere: bring an extra baggie on your walk.