Scoop Pet Waste

What’s the Problem?

A golden retriever.

More than 20,000 dogs of all shapes and sizes live in Kirkland. That’s a lot of dogs and a lot of dog poop– more than 6,000 pounds of poop per day!

 

 

 

Pet Waste Affects Health and Water Quality

Pet waste contains harmful organisms like E.coliGiardia, and roundworms which can be transmitted to people and pets if not cleaned up. 

When it rains, pet waste gets washed down the storm drain and into the nearest stream or lake. The organisms in dog waste can pollute our streams, creeks, and lakes, making our favorite places to swim and play unsafe. 

What Can We Do?

At Home

Luckily, the solution to this problem is quite simple. All you have to do is:

  1. Scoop your dog’s waste
  2. Put it in a bag
  3. Put it in the trash.

Scooping on walks: Keep a supply of bags near your dog’s leash. Use a bag dispenser that can be clipped to the leash. You can also use old newspaper, sandwich or bread bags. Tie bags to the leash if you don’t have pockets.
 
Scooping in the backyard: Use your poop-scooping tool of choice and bag your dog’s waste.

Good Human, Scoop Poop

In My Neighborhood

Free pet waste stations are available for homeowner associations, neighborhood associations and homeowners within our city limits. One station will be distributed per sponsor.

You can keep your neighborhood common areas and open spaces clean and healthy by sponsoring a pet waste station, making pet waste cleanup easy and convenient for dog owners.

The following supplies are provided at no cost to you (while supplies last):

  • weather-proof signs
  • pet waste bag dispenser
  • supply of 500 bags

The sponsor is responsible for installing the station, keeping the sign maintained, and keeping the dispenser filled with bags. Stations must be installed on private property (either your own or with the permission of the property owner). Stations can only be installed on City property or right of way with special permission. 

If you're interested in becoming a sponsor and installing a station, read and complete the agreement below. 

Pet Waste Station Sponsor Agreement.

For more information about this program, refer to the Pet Waste Station Flyer(PDF, 1MB) or contact Aaron Hussmann or call 425-587-3857.

Around the City

Congrats Kirkland! You Helped Reduce Unscooped Dog Poop by 80%

Pet-Waste-Graph.png

Read the Final Project Report Here(PDF, 6MB)

Visitors to Juanita Beach Park and Hazen Hills Park may have noticed hundreds of yellow flags dotting the landscape throughout October 2019. Each yellow flag marked where unscooped dog poop was left in the park over the past month - a whopping 270 piles of unscooped dog poop! 

As part of a research effort funded by King Conservation District Member Jurisdiction grant program, City staff monitored and counted unscooped dog poop to see if these numbers decline after the installation of new dog poop bag stations and new education and outreach efforts. City staff are also monitored the creek flowing through Hazen Hills Park for bacteria and canine bacteria DNA to evaluate the water quality impacts of dog poop. 

City volunteers continue to keep the new dog poop bag stations at Hazen Hills and Juanita Beach stocked with bags. We plan to monitor additional parks to identify possible hot spots for future outreach efforts.