The Bark Side of Pet Waste Stations

Introduction
The University of New Mexico is a diverse community that continues to embrace unique
perspectives from not only the four corners of the state, but from every corner of the world.
Located in the heart of New Mexico, UNM remains the leader in academics and is home to the
UNM Health Sciences Center that remains the largest integrated health treatment, research
and education organization. In 2019, UNM was ranked one of the Best Colleges in National
Universities from US News & World Report.

Throughout UNM’s diverse community of students and faculty, we cannot forget the family and
friends of those that make UNM great. Whether it may be a family member or the family dog,
UNM welcomes all visitors. The campus is mostly busy with those that are attending school,
however it has attracted those that love to see the beauty of the campus. UNM is filled with
lush landscapes that span over 800 acres. Everywhere you look around campus you will see
beautifully manicured lawn and garden designs. Located within the center of the campus is the
unique duck pond which is home to various species of ducks, turtles, and fish.

Strolling through the campus you mainly see students; however, you will also see many dog
visitors as well. Whether they are service dogs or the family pet, UNM is theirs to explore.

Current Situation
There is a high population of dogs that visit the campus and attend classes as service dogs each
day. During my recent walk on campus, I did not notice any pet waste stations located around
the property. Being a dog owner myself, I wondered why such a renowned University does not
accommodate for our canine friends. I
researched the policies and
procedures that pertain to service and
assistance animals.

According to UNM policy 2295, “In

keeping with federal and state law, the
University of New Mexico recognizes its
responsibilities to extend equal access to
individuals with disabilities who use a
Service Animal on University property. The
University will not discriminate against
individuals with disabilities who use
Service Animals nor, subject to the terms
of this Policy, deny those persons access to programs, services and facilities of the University.”

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 Under the responsibilities for the care and supervision of service animals there are four items
that are required:

 Licensed in accordance with applicable state, county, or local laws or ordinance

pertaining to the type of Service Animal
 In good health and well groomed
 Housebroken (the individual with the disability is responsible for the proper disposition
of any Service Animal accidental waste); and
 Harnessed, leashed, or otherwise under the control of the individual with a disability
(e.g., voice control, signals, or other effective means) such that the Service Animal does
not disrupt or interfere with the ability of other users of the space or activity.

UNM specifically recognizes Service Animals but does not help to accommodate them as it does
for its human counterparts. We are provided with public restroom facilities, that are stocked
with necessary toiletries such as toilet paper, toilet seat covers, hand soap, and paper towels.
With the same respect, I believe that UNM should provide the necessary waste compliments to
the canine population as well.

During my research, I only found two pet waste stations throughout campus (Fig.1 & Fig. 2).
Both are located caddy corner around the Duck Pond.

Fig. 1- SW of Duck pond Fig. 2- East entrance of Duck Pond

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Pet waste is an environmental problem that is listed as a non-point source pollutant by the
Environmental Protection Agency in 1991. Non-point source pollutants are things like,
insecticides/herbicides, toxic chemicals, oil, grease, and drainage of acid from old
abandoned mines. Pet waste can do more than discolor lawns. The waste is home to plenty of
bacteria and parasites like:

 Roundworms  Giardia
 Tapeworms  Corona
 Hookworms  Salmonellosis
 Whipworms  Cryptosporidiosis
 Parvo virus  Campylobacteriosis

What is shocking is this is not the total list of potential bacteria that pet waste inhibits. Some
diseases can pass to humans (zoonoses) by coming into contact with infected waste. When pet
waste lingers in a lawn, it may contain eggs of parasites. The parasites can be transferred to
humans simply by walking barefoot upon the location, playing sports, etc. It not only affects
humans but other dogs as well. Pet waste it is not only gross to step in or look at but
contaminates water sources due to rain run-off. It is crucial that pet waste is properly disposed,
especially around the Duck Pond and other lawns across campus. I support having pets on
campus, but we need to install more pet waste stations to prevent contamination, pollution,
and protect our beautiful landscapes.

Fig. 3 Fig. 4

During my campus walk through, I witnessed dog owners walking their dog upon the field. As I
circled the field, I noticed there were no pet waste stations at Johnson Field. In Fig 3, the dog is
defecating on the field. In Fig. 4, a potential spot for the pet waste station which is would be
located next to a trash/recycle station.

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Project Plan
My project plan will begin with creating an assessment to reveal why UNM should install more
pet waste stations. Step two would be to campaign more campus awareness regarding pet
waste stations. Step three would be to submit my assessment and proposal to UNM. Within my
assessment I will include potential areas to install pet waste stations. If you look in Fig. 5, I have
indicated seven potential areas with red stars. These areas are common dog walker areas.
Every potential location is located next to a trash bin which will guarantee easy elimination and
replenishment of items.

Costs and Benefits

According to Pet Waste Eliminator.com, each start-up station consists of the following:
 1 All-Weather Dispenser Box
 10 Gallon Plastic Trash Can with Lid
 1 Aluminum sign: 12” w x 12” h
 1 Sign Post 8’ h, hardware included
 Lock and Key for protection
 200 Pet waste Bags: 600 capacity
 50 odor trapping liners

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Each Station costs $175.00, however if bought in bulk the price is lowered to $149.00 per
station. To purchase 7 additional Pet Waste Stations at $149.00 each, equals to $1099.00 with
shipping included.

Additional supplies include Pet Waste refillable bags in rolls and 10-gallon Trash can Liners.
Each station will need two refillable pet waste bags rolls each which equals out to 14 rolls total.
Each roll has 200 bags per box. The more you buy the more is discounted from the total price.
The total purchase for 100 rolls with the quantity of 20,000 bags is $429.99 with shipping
included. The 10-gallon Trash can liners are sold in 500 bag quantity. To purchase 2000 liners
will cost $309.99 which includes shipping.

The grand total for the pet waste stations are as follows:
Pet Waste Station kit x 7 = $1099.00
Pet Waste Refill bags x 100 rolls = $ 429.99
10-gallon trash can liners= $ 309.99
Total Cost= $1838.98

The total cost of this project not only benefits those that use
them but helps the overall costs of maintenance & fees
associated with the cleaning of the duck pond and landscapes.

Petwasteeliminator.com
Qualifications
A group or committee needs to be created to address the
concerns of dog owners and service animals of UNM.
Together the group will be able to create and modify current
policies. Much research is needed to improve the service
animal policy, policies that target visitors, and possibly
students that reside in UNM housing areas (Lobo Village) in
the near future.

Conclusions
If more pet waste stations were installed, our UNM community would be more accessible to
accommodate all dogs and pet owners. Not only will our precious landscapes be protected, but
it will help decrease contamination and pollution.

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References
University of New Mexico. US NEWS, March 13, 2019, Retrieved from:
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-new-mexico-10313

Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual- Policy 2295: Service and Assistance Animals.
UNM Policy Office, March 13, 2019, Retrieved from:
https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/2000/2295.html

Toxic Dog Waste. Doody Calls, March 13, 2019, Retrieved from:
http://www.doodycalls.com/resources-toxic-dog-waste/

UNM Central Campus Map. UNM, March 13, 2019, Retrieved from:
https://fm.unm.edu/assets/documents/campus-maps/visitormapcentral_alpha.pdf

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