Doing More Good on Dog Walks by Tys Sniffen Nov, 2003 San Francisco, CA - When we walk with our dogs through our communities and in and around our parks, we do a good service by picking up after our dogs, and often, the leavings of other dogs. With little effort, we can provide additional benefit by picking up the litter that abounds on our streets and in our park. People walking down a street, noticing anything amiss, saying hello, and being aware of their surroundings makes a big difference in the overall quality of our neighborhoods. Over my years of living in the city with my dog, I've learned to watch her enjoy her surroundings, encouraging me to put my nose into the wind and pay attention when things just aren't as they should be. We know that having good people and their dogs outside in the evening benefits us all. I walk the same route (as most of us do, I'm sure) to the park, around the park, maybe over to visit some friends, and then back the same route to the house. Recently, I've started noticing something else as I walked the couple blocks to my park, the litter. I began just using the occasional paper coffee cup instead of a bag to pick-up, then graduated to trying to pick-up trash carrying a plastic grocery bag but most often I used one hand, walking in a strategic pattern back and forth to the garbage cans. Another guy in my neighborhood uses and swears by the 5-gallon bucket method. Then, I discovered the grabber, the tool you see clean-up crews using at Disney Land, a pistol-handled, cane-length, pincher thing with suction cups that smart people use to get things down from too high shelves. I made the commitment. Now I keep my grabber behind my front door, and take it on all my dog walks, picking up trash as I go. After about a month or two of my twice-daily pick-ups - yes, I do realize I'm a bit obsessive - I've noticed a definite change. There isn't as much litter as there was. Just like graffiti, the more you take away, the less comes back. I've started to regard my trashy walks as my "Zen garden." Instead of seeking enlightenment raking sand, I pick up trash. Why am I writing this? Here's my challenge to you: Get a grabber, carry it with you, and collect some trash. Let's show our neighbors that dogs and their people can have yet another very visible and positive impact in our parks and our neighborhoods. We can help to clean up this town - we're out there anyway. Here's the least expensive, best grabber I could find on the Internet: $8.95 Put it by your door and be a hero! See you in the parks.

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