Condo Media - December 2013 - 39

sites are identified on a map, the next
step is to put feet on the pavement and
walk the community to see if the proposed sites make sense on the ground.
At this point, you are looking for
areas that are convenient for dog owners
while having a low impact on adjacent
homeowners or amenity users. For
instance, there may be a perfect site for
dog owners, but it happens to be next
to a community playground or in a
homeowner's immediate line of sight
from their front door, bay window, or
backyard deck. In these cases, placing
a station in one of these areas may lead
to conflict. Considerations for snow
plows should also be taken into account to avoid stations being damaged
by plow deposits during snowstorms.
When choosing station locations,
remember:
* Convenience is key. Make it easy for
dog owners to pick up and drop off
bags while walking their pet.
* Place stations along natural walking
paths and areas pet owners tend to
congregate.
* Avoid placing stations near playgrounds, dense groups of homes, and
locations where winter plows deposit
snow.

Schedule Common
Area Cleanings

When you supplement the introduction
of pet waste stations into the community with regular common area cleanings, you end up well on your way to
developing a comprehensive pet waste
management plan.
While pet waste stations help curb
many community pet waste issues,
there will still be residents who fail to
do the right thing. Staying ahead of the
accumulation is the goal here, because
once the amount of unattended dog
waste reaches a certain level, you will
begin fielding complaint calls.
In essence, common area cleanings
involve someone walking the grounds
of the community and scooping up
waste and other litter. It is recom-

mended that communities perform
common area cleanings at least twice
a year, although many communities
opt for cleanings on a monthly or
bimonthly basis.
Depending on the type of community and scope of the problem, cleaning
common areas may require walking the
entire grounds to scoop up waste and
other litter. In other cases, the issue
will centralize itself in a few locations,

the best person or business to manage
and implement a comprehensive pet
waste management plan. Although the
best solution will ultimately depend on
your community's specific needs and
budget, it is important to understand
that managing pet waste is not a simple, easy, or enjoyable chore, and unless
someone who is committed to doing
the job is put in charge, it will likely fall
short and eventually fade away.

As unpleasant and time consuming as managing
pet waste may be, keeping it off the ground is an
important responsibility held by the community.
commonly referred to as "hot spots."
These locations are where waste tends
to accumulate more frequently than
others. Identifying hot spots and keeping them clean can work to stop the
problem immediately and also help to
prevent it from spreading.

Educate Residents

Another important element of the pet
waste management puzzle is education
and awareness. When residents understand the importance of picking up
after their pets and they see the community supporting pet waste pickup,
they become far more likely to participate and support the cause of protecting property values and a healthy, safe
environment for all.
Companies that are experts in pet
waste management will be able to
provide you with materials designed
to help educate residents about the
importance of picking up after pets.
For example, many communities with
comprehensive pet waste management
plans periodically publish a community
map outlining the location of pet waste
stations so that residents are reminded
of their presence and can plan their
walks accordingly.

Choose a Pet Waste
Management Team

Communities have a few options to
choose from when it comes to selecting

The most effective solution for managing pet waste in your community is
to work with a professional pet waste
management service. These specialists bring their tools, experience, and
know-how into your community to
eliminate issues related to dog waste
and to make your residents happy.
If your community allows pets, then
chances are you have pet waste issues.
As unpleasant and time consuming as
managing this waste may be, keeping it
off the ground is an important responsibility held by the community.
When communities advertise themselves as "pet friendly" to help attract
residents or homeowners, but then do
not have proper amenities for petowning residents, such as pet waste
stations along community sidewalks and
paths, the community is not living up
to its promise. This doesn't mean the
community needs to build a dedicated
swimming pool for the dogs, but it
does at the very least mean that basic
pet waste management practices should
be in place to protect residents' health,
property values, and the environment. CM
Paul Delaney is a certified community
pet waste management expert with DoodyCalls. He has been helping communities throughout Southeast Massachusetts
successfully develop and implement
comprehensive pet waste management
plans since 2005.
Condo Media * December 2013

Condo Media - December 2013

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