3 minute read
The Scoop on the Poop
By Lucy Erdelac. Cartoon illustrated by Jim Hunt
Every week, Mario Lanza Dog Park accepts more than 100 pounds of deliveries. They arrive daily in furry packages and leave in take-out bags for the city. These regular movements of poop are made possible by dog-loving park volunteers.
For more years than they can remember, volunteers Stella and John Buccella emptied the trash cans at Mario Lanza Dog Park (MLDP). On Thursday nights in rain, snow, or shine they secured 32-gallon poop-filled bags and carried them curbside for pickup. They purchased new bags to replace used ones, relining each can for the following week.
Doggie-Doo Diligence
While their volunteer service was appreciated by all especially to those who know them to other dog parents, John and Stella were the park’s unsung heroes: magical fairies making poop disappear and adding fence screens to keep pea gravel inside the park.
This spring, before Stella and John passed their doggie-doo duties to others, they gave a game-changing gift for the park: a dog waste station with a bag dispenser. To get things rolling, other dog park volunteers purchased 2,000 doggie-doo bags to keep it wellstocked.
They Come, Sit, and Stay
As word spread about park volunteers’ improvements, including table, benches, and gates, the park has become the social magnet for both dogs and their owners. Fortunately, dog park donations (Venmo/MarioLanzaDogPark) are starting to increase. Donations are vital because they help volunteers defray park expenses, among them dog-dropping removal.
Why More Became Less
It’s a fact that a 32-gallon bag filled with household trash weighs less than one filled with poop. It's also a fact that more than 450 pounds of poop arrive at The Doggie-Doo Inn. So, when what used to take one volunteer to lift turned into a two- and sometimes three-person task, something had to change.
That’s why two standard-size trash cans were replaced with three of the 20-gallon size.
Does more poop in the park mean less poop on our sidewalks? Only time will tell. ■
August 25th: Thank you, Mario Lanza Dog Park volunteers!
MLDP Board Member Meghan Rasmussen and volunteer Westley Blades left no stone unturned on the sidewalk outside of the dog park’s gate.
Bags of bush branches were trimmed from the park by a cadre of volunteers.
A wheelbarrow full of pea gravel was moved back into the dog park.
A Call for Arms
All of Queen Village’s parks and playgrounds, including Mario Lanza Dog Park, are cared for by volunteers. If your furry friend enjoys MLDP, please volunteer for an occasional park cleanup by emailing MarioLanzaDogPark@QVNA.org. Too busy to volunteer? Please donate.
Please donate using PayPal
Please donate using Venmo
