Aspen ready to pick up the poop

ASPEN — Even Aspen dogs have smelly crap, and the city parks department and a local poop pick-up advocate are banding together to clean up the mess.

April 28 marks the inaugural dog poop pick-up day, when Aspenites are encouraged to come out and help clean up the Rio Grande Trail from the John Denver Sanctuary to the Slaughterhouse Bridge.

Folks are encouraged to meet at either point on the trail at 9:30 a.m. Saturday to help get the trail clean.

"We're going to meet with folks, hand out dog bags, gloves; we'll just walk the entire trail, picking up poop, picking up trash," said Brian Flynn, open space and special projects manager for Aspen. "Dog litter causes a lot of problems."

The tons of dog poop that doesn't get picked up each year can lead to water pollution and other environmental problems, Flynn said. One of the biggest issues, however, is the level of grossness.

"Think about being in a playground or park having to dodge the little minefields," Flynn said. "People come to a park and it's clean because we've already removed several pounds of feces. It's a frustration for us."

Of course, the parks department can't always keep up. Recently, local Shae Singer approached the department wanting to make it clear that not all dog owners are irresponsible. She envisioned a community-oriented event to help clean up area trails and parks.

Singer got together some gift certificates, T-shirts and hats for the folks who pick up the most poundage Saturday. She said she's trying to make the day a little more fun.

"The poop thing is a matter of keeping it clean and showing everyone that we have responsible pet owners," Singer said.

Joel Stonington's e-mail address is jstonington@aspentimes.com