Coloradans are lucky to have so many outdoor places that allow our canine companions to join in on the fun with us. But in order to keep these places open to dogs, owners need to do their part in responsibly picking up after their pets.

Case and point, in 2021, a team of rangers collected a total of 2,200 bags of pet waste that were left behind by people at Jefferson County parks and trails throughout the year.

Rangers are able to track the amount of bags they pick up through an app called SharePoint. Jefferson County Ranger Jason explained that whenever they are out on patrol and see a pet waste bag (and pick it up) they note it in a log.

Photo courtesy of JeffCo Ranger Jason
Photo courtesy of JeffCo Ranger Jason
loading...

Most of the trailheads and access points in Jefferson County, and at other parks and outdoor spaces in Colorado for that matter, have dog poo bag dispensers conveniently located somewhere on the property. The dispensers are usually accompanied by trash cans and signage that reminds visitors to clean up after their pet - which means not only picking up their waste but depositing somewhere properly afterward too.

Ranger Jason noted that unfortunately out of all the tickets the Jefferson County park rangers write, abandoning pet waste is the least frequently observed violation but yet one that they see the most frequent sign or impact from.

If enough people continue to disrespect public parks and trails by littering bags of waste, dogs will eventually unlikely be welcome at these places.

Photo courtesy of Jefferson County Ranger Jason
Photo courtesy of Jefferson County Ranger Jason
loading...

RELATED: The 10 Commandments of Colorado Trails

Donkeys of Eleven Mile State Park

Guests at Eleven Mile State Park might run into these roaming burros.

More From Power 102.9 NoCo - KARS-FM