Another fine mess
By NORA SORENA CASEY Special to the Daily Press
NORTH OF WILSHIRE — Valerie Hiss loves to stroll through the varied neighborhoods of Santa Monica, she just wishes she didn’t have to do the two-step in order to avoid dirtying her shoes.
That’s why the owner of a 4-year-old Labrador has taken it upon herself to keep neighborhoods free of “doggie debris” — as she refers to it — in lieu of more consistently, conscientious dog owners.
Hiss, a local real estate agent who lives north of Wilshire Boulevard, has placed about 60 “doggie house” dispensers from San Vicente Boulevard to the Ocean Park neighborhood so pet owners can pick up after their companions. The houses contain plastic bags so those strolling by can grab one and take with them what normally might be left behind by their canines.
Three years and thousands of dollars later, it appears Hiss’ passion for clean neighborhoods has gained steam.
“I give one box to someone and then all of a sudden I get calls for three or four more houses,” she said.
The idea was born in 2002, when in the course of walking her new Labrador puppy dog, Lily, Hiss realized that the neighborhood had gone to the dogs. Then, on a trip to Sausalito in Northern California, she noticed in a park that the city government had made available bag dispensers so clean-up would be easier for pet owners.
Hiss decided to make it happen in Santa Monica, since City Hall wasn’t.
She ordered a box of plastic bags from a manufacturer and a few dog-gie houses. Then she put the house on a tree outside of her home, with the plastic bags inside. On the front, she posted a small white sign that read: “Thank you for picking up after your pet,” with the side of the house listing her phone number if they were interested in acquiring a similar house, free of charge.
Hiss noticed that people took baggies every day and her block suddenly became doggie-debris free.
It took a year for someone to call, asking for their own dog-gie house, but then the idea took flight. She gave them out willingly, and all they had to do was call her for more baggies.
Today, Hiss estimates that she has handed out more than 20,000 baggies and 60 doggie houses. They are placed from the northern tip to the southern end of the city. She keeps a careful list of where they are located, so no one area is over-crowded.
But as her doggie house empire grows, Hiss’ personal expenses grow accordingly. Over the past three years, she has spent $5,000 on supplies. The doggie houses are $25 each, ordered from Illinois. Hiss buys baggies in packs of 2,250 for $80 a box. Although she is concerned about the growing cost, Hiss feels the service needs to remain free to pet owners.
“Keeping the neighborhood as good as it can be is really important to me,” she said. “I’ve felt that it’s been a worth-while investment.”
Other cities provide the resources to help dog-walkers clean up after their pets, and bear the financial burden as well.
The city of Sausalito, which so inspired Hiss, provides 30 stations for its citizens in an effort to help clean up dog waste. The stations cost $167 each, and require six rolls of baggies every month, at $39 a roll, according to the city’s public works department. The stations are restocked twice a week.
Aspen, Colo., is another such city, where the dog clean-up program has really taken off. Aspen Parks and Recreations Manager Jeff Woods said their program was “fairly successful. We still have some problems with dogs, but not nearly on the scale we did prior to this program.”
Aspen began providing dog bags and dispensers in the mid 1990s, and placed approximately five boxes throughout town. The program has expanded rapidly since 2000 — there are now 85 dispensers located throughout the downtown area, as well as trails and parks.
The city of Aspen has spent $15,000 in bags and an additional $10,000 in labor for the program. Most recently, they have begun to use biodegradable baggies.
Santa Monica tried a similar program about two years ago, when the parks department placed dispensers filled with baggies at Clover Park. But the program was shut down after two years because the baggies were being stolen.
“Unfortunately, people took handfuls of the bags, so we were constantly out of bags, and there’s no point in having dispensers without bags,” said Elaine Polachek, City Hall’s open space manager.
The need to keep restocking meant that a $100 case of bags would be gone in a day, when it should have taken a month to use those supplies, Polachek said.
The bags taken in large numbers “were not being used for the purpose intended,”said City Hall spokeswoman Judy Franz.
Polachek said city officials do believe that keeping Santa Monica free of doggie debris is important, even if they have not been able to create an effective program.
Heal the Bay, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cleaning up Santa Monica Bay, stresses the importance of cleaning up dog waste, which flows through storm drains and into the ocean.
“Dog waste is one of the major sources of fecal bacteria,” said Heal the Bay Executive Director Mark Gold, who added a program like Hiss’ is extremely valuable.
Hiss said she feels her program has made its mark on the community — she has received a lot of positive feedback for her community effort. She hopes that her followers will inspire those who leave their pets’ mark on front lawns across the city.
“I’ve taken bags out of there before and I’ve put one in before, when I had extra bags,” said Santa Monica resident Kathryn Hansen, while walking her dog on Seventh Street and Idaho Avenue.“I’m sure it encourages people to be more responsible.”
And it makes Hiss feel satisfied knowing that she is giving back to the community she has called home her entire life.
“It puts people in a good mood if you give them something and I like that,” she said. “It makes me feel good.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 31, 2006. Read the original PDF.