Doggie Bags for a Cleaner Lake

One of the most important services FOLQ provides is complimentary doggie bags to everyone who walks their dogs around the lake.

There are three doggie bag dispensers, each attached to the side posts of informational kiosks:

1. 1. Near the Lowell and Main Streets
   2. On the Lower Common
   3. On North Ave near Vets Field

Besides the obviously messiness, why is dog waste not ideal to be left around the lake? According to Massachusetts-based Earthwise Aware’s report, “The Scoop on Poop,” dog waste can be quite harmful to ecosystems. Most dogs eat processed foods that are highly nutrient-rich, which can be good for the dog’s diet, but can throw an ecosystem out of balance. Dogs also “carry very different bacterial and parasite fauna than wild animals. The dogs have evolved with these bacteria and parasites and are not harmed by them. But the bacteria and parasites can be harmful to wildlife that come into contact with dog waste.” So even if a dog visits the Lake and does its business in a more natural, wild area not trafficked by humans, wildlife in that area are still put at risk.

To put it simply, it’s very good for Lake Quannapowitt’s ecosystem, and for the bottoms of our shoes, to bag and properly dispose of dog waste left at the lake.

The expense of thousands of doggie bags is covered by the annual dues of FOLQ members. The restocking of dispensers is managed by volunteers. Because of this systematic effort, the lake and its surrounding parklands are cleaner.