We're going Beyond the Call of Doody!

The Somerville Dog Owners Group is proud to participate for the fourth year in a row in the City of Somerville's Annual Spring Cleanup! This year, we're going Beyond the Call of Doody: At clean-up sites designated by the City, we will be cleaning up doggie doody so that we can all enjoy the places where we walk and play together with our dogs.

The Citywide Spring Cleanup is Saturday morning, May 3, from 10:00 to noon (Rain Date: May 10). The City has designated sites in each Ward for volunteers to meet:

WARD 1: Capuano School tot lot at Glen Street
WARD 2: Union Square Parking Lot @ SCAT Building
WARD 3: High School Concourse
WARD 4: Winter Hill School
WARD 5: Community Path at Cedar Street
WARD 6: Davis Square, Statue Park
WARD 7: Fire Station, Teele Square

After the cleanup the City invites all volunteers to gather for a celebration with music and refreshments at Nunziato Field, adjacent to the Off-Leash Recreational Area, and an environmental education fair, the SomerGreen Festival, at the Community Growing Center on Vinal Avenue.

Following are some suggestions for Somerville dog owners who are willing to go Beyond the Call of Doody:

1. Bring a friend.


2. Dress for yard work. Wear gloves and bring a gardening spade and a supply of plastic bags. Bring hand-sanitizer and/or wipes.


3. At the meeting place for your neighborhood, introduce yourself to your Alderman and your School Committee member. Schmooze! The Citywide Spring Cleanup is just as much about meeting neighbors as it is about cleaning up our neighborhoods! Tell them that you are a dog owner, and that you will be cleaning up dog poop. Ask for suggestions. If your neighborhood is cleaning up a park, is there a particular area where poop is not picked up and accumulates? Are there streets in the neighborhood where there is a poop problem? While your at it, ask when your neighborhood is going to get an off-leash recreational area!


4. Don't get hurt. Find out what the protocol is if you find dangerous items, like syringes.


5. Clean up broken glass, too. Our dogs walk barefoot out there!


6. Stick with the crowds. Other volunteers will be working in groups, picking up trash, planting flowers, etc. As you do your doody-duty, introduce yourself to your neighbors who are also participating in the cleanup. Make sure you tell them your name, that you own a dog, and what you are doing. Schmooze!


7. Look for the camera. City Cable films the cleanup. Introduce yourself to the camera crew and tell them what you are doing.


8. Be sure to report what you accomplished. The City likes numbers: How many piles of poop did you pick up? How many plastic bags did you fill? Did you find anything interesting?


9. Wash up and come to Nunziato Field for a free barbecue after the cleanup. Stop by the som|dog booth at the SomerGreen Festival at the Community Growing Center and say "Hi!"


10. Go home and hug your dog. Tell him how you were out making Somerville a better place for him (or her)!

The Citywide Spring Cleanup is a fun opportunity for Somerville dog owners to be a part of the civic life of the community. Let's all stoop and scoop for clean streets and sidewalks in Somerville!

If you are a Somerville dog owner and you want more information about the Somerville Spring Cleanup, please contact somdog * AT * somervilledog.com.

More information about the Somerville Spring Cleanup is available on the City's website.