Keeping urban spaces clean is everyone’s responsibility. Authorities must provide a diligent cleaning service, but citizens must also show a civic-minded and respectful attitude toward public spaces.
In this regard, ARISTOPARENTS are becoming increasingly aware each day of the importance of keeping the streets clean and taking responsibility for our pets’ waste. Since they cannot do it themselves, we must take care of it to prevent ourselves and our best friends from being demonized. As a group, we must set an example.
However, we all know that, even in 2018, some people still refuse to take full responsibility for what their pets leave in the street… That is why some local councils have launched initiatives to promote responsible—and civic-minded—pet ownership.
The latest to join in has been the local council of Elda, in Alicante, which has launched a very direct cleaning campaign aimed at ARISTODOG owners. This campaign is called “It’s in Your Hands.” And it is quite literal, since it provides owners with tools so they have no excuse for failing to take responsibility for their pets’ waste and urine.
That is why the local council will distribute around 3,500 dispensers containing bags and bottles. Everyone knows what the bags are used for. But what about the bottles? The council believes that pet urine also dirties the streets and causes unpleasant odors, so its solution is to give owners bottles to fill with water and vinegar.
At this point, it is worth emphasizing that pet urine should never, ever be cleaned with ammonia and bleach, as this can be toxic to pets. Sometimes, business owners or owners of commercial premises resort to this out of desperation over the passivity or negligence of certain pet owners, without being aware of the risks involved… That is why it is important to handle this properly and not give anyone reason to take measures of this kind. If you won’t do it out of civic responsibility, do it for your pet.
Returning to Elda, the town has a population of just over 52,000. Therefore, the bags and bottles will be distributed at the most popular and busiest public locations, as well as those most frequently visited by ARISTOPARENTS and ARISTOPETS. The Central Market and the San Francisco de Sales Market are two of the main locations, along with parks and gardens, where pet waste is usually left most often.
We all want a cleaner city. That is why local councils do not hesitate to launch initiatives like this. Staying in Alicante, we find another similar proposal carried out by the Petrer local council. In this case, the process is the same, except that they recommend filling the 2,000 bottles to be distributed with water, vinegar, and lemon. The distribution will also be carried out by name, which will help the Department of Health update the town’s animal census. A doubly useful initiative.
It is clear that cities are dirty for many more reasons than pets’ waste. Papers, bottles, cigarette butts… all of that and much more is the responsibility of other people, for whom local councils do not launch awareness campaigns. It may be offensive or irritating in some ways, but as the saying goes: “you can’t please everyone.”