6 - strategy & program development - dave ward

Pet Waste Management Research and ToolsSnohomish County Surface Water Management

Washington State Department of Ecology

Urban and suburban residents who sometimes pick-up and dispose waste properly.

Urban and suburban residents who always pick-up waste, but do not dispose properly.

Target Audience



Regularly pick-up dog waste in yards and dispose of it in the trash.

No composting, burying, or leaving dog waste in yards to decompose.

Desired Action

Primary:

Secondary:



“Scoop the poop, bag it, and place it in the trash”

Call to Action

“Clean yards. Clean streams. (And clean shoes!)”

Tagline



• Pet waste is raw sewage.

• The ingredients of dog waste are harmful to children.

• Roundworms, E. coli, and Giardia are microorganisms that can be transmitted from pet waste to people.

• Harmful organisms in dog waste can persist for more than two weeks.

• More than 126,000 dogs live in Snohomish County, producing waste equivalent to a city of 32,000 people.

• Stormwater carries bacteria from dog waste into streams and rivers through storm drains.

• More than 20 tons of dog waste are dropped in Snohomish County backyards every day.

• Landfills are designed to safely handle substances such as dog waste, cat litter, and dirty diapers.

• Dog waste is one of the leading causes of bacterial contamination in Snohomish County’s streams and rivers.

Copy



• Dog waste does not all soak into the ground. Stormwater runoff carries bacteria from dog waste into streams and lakes through storm drains

• The ingredients of dog waste are harmful to adults

• The ingredients of dog waste are harmful to children

• The ingredients of dog waste are harmful to pets

• Most dog waste contains E. Coli

• The environmentally preferred way to dispose of dog waste is to bag it and place it in the trash

• Dog waste is one of the leading causes of bacterial contamination in local streams & lakes

• Pet waste that washes into storm drains ends up in streams.

• Fecal coliform, Cryptosporidium, Campylobacteriosis, Toxocariasis, Toxoplasmosis, and Giardia, are all microorganisms that can be transmitted from pet waste to humans.

Discards



• E. coli, Cryptosporidium, Campylobacteriosis, Toxocariasis, Toxoplasmosis, and Giardia, are all microorganisms that can be transmitted from pet waste to humans.

• The nitrogen in pet waste is like a vitamin. People need vitamins to live, but too much of some vitamins can be toxic. Likewise, streams need nitrogen, but too much can cause severe problems.

• Nutrients from pet waste dissolve in rainwater and wash into the soil. Some, but not all, of these nutrients are absorbed by plants. The rest can migrate into streams, where they cause algae blooms. Algae blooms not only look bad, they consume dissolved oxygen in the water – oxygen that fish and other aquatic wildlife need to breathe. Salmon and trout require high oxygen levels.

• Bacterial contamination from pet waste is a threat to human health. In fact, many of our water bodies south of Marysville and west of Monroe are not considered safe for swimming or wading due to bacterial contamination. Pet waste is one of the principle sources of this contamination.

• Our pets live in much higher densities than wildlife. In fact, over 126,000 dogs live in Snohomish County creating a city’s worth of untreated raw sewage. It can’t all soak into the ground. Instead, stormwater carries much of the bacteria in pet waste into our streams and rivers.

Discards



• Pick up your pet waste.

• Scoop the poop, put it in a plastic bag, and place it in the trash.

• Scoop it, bag it, trash it.

• Scoop the poop, double bag it, and place it in the trash.

• Pick up your pet waste, double bag it, and place it in the trash.

• Etc., etc., etc.

Discarded Calls to Action



bombboo-boobrownie

cacacalling cardchocolates

crapcrapola

dirtdo-do

doggy sausagedoo

doodiedookiedoolie

droppings dumpdung

effluviumevacuationexcrement

excretaexudationexuviae

fecal matterfeces

feculencejobberskisses

land mines

poodle paddiespoop

poopiepoopoopresentspungies

scats#&%soil

souvenirsstoolstuff

tootsie rollsturd

waste

lawn sausageslincoln logs

loadlooloo

manuremessmuckmud

night soilnuggets

number twoordure

packagepilepoo



1. Identify a target audience

2. Understand their barriers and motivators

3. Think from the audience’s point of view

4. Speak their language

Characteristics of Social Marketing



Response• “It is rare these days to see such caring on the part of government.”

• “It gave me information to make more competent decisions about my property.”

• “… a touch of empathy toward the many issues that can bewilder streamside landowners.”

• “Interesting concept: That government agencies would actually work with me and allow me to enjoy the stream through our property once improvements were made.”

• “It was evident that you were there to help serve as a source of information and a contact, and that you were not there to judge current individuals practices or viewpoints.”

• “… you indeed had hit the pulse of their concerns.”

• “Your materials were comprehensive and presented a good balance of general information on riparian habitat and inhabitants, legal regulations.”

• “The depth of information presented was surprising given the variety of topics – there was definitely something for everyone.”

• “The knowledge I gained influenced what I would do with my property. I also learned I have a whole lot more to learn before I make major decisions.”

Graphic: Snohomish County



• Quirky concepts & images• Fortune cookies• Temporary tattoos• Pet waste spring toys• Pet waste flashlights• Garbage can stickers• Pet waste calendars • Pens, water bottles,

refrigerator magnets

Creating Buzz – Getting people talking



Communications Strategy




Veterinarians ? ?



• Seek repetition in call to action

• Get messages into different contexts (home, neighborhood, businesses, unusual contexts)

• Engage local concentrations of dog owner activity (veterinary clinics, pet stores, training centers, dog events)

• Emphasize quirky media to attract attention

• Use buzz marketing to stimulate conversation along message vectors and sustain messages





Formative Research

Communications Development

Focus Neighborhood

Communications

North Creek Pilot Area

Communications

Countywide Communications

Veterinarians

Pet stores

Dog training and activity clubs

Kids talking to kids

Licensed dog owner promotion

Walking neighborhood assessment

Dog walking plants (claqueurs)

Garbage can stickers

Signs

Intensive direct mail

Photo contest

Waste handling ride-alongs

Spillover activities from Pilot Area:

Website

Utility bill inserts

Garbage can stickers

VALS Population Segments

Graphic: SRI Consulting Business Intelligence

This is aBEHAVIOR CHANGE

program,

not an education program



Logic Model

Formative Research

Communications Development

Program Information

Dissemination

Landscape Level

Implementation

Program Evaluation

Focus Neighborhood

Communications

North Creek Pilot Area

Communications

Countywide Communications

Task Evaluation

Task Evaluation

Task Evaluation



Diffusion of Innovations

Gra

phic

bas

ed o

n E

vere

tt R

oger

s, D

iffus

ion

of In

nova

tions

, 196

2,20

03

LateMajority

34%Laggards

16%

EarlyAdopters

13.5%

Innovators2.5% Early

Majority34%



Public Involvement Continuum

Gra

phic

: Sno

hom

ish

Cou

nty

Sur

face

Wat

er M

anag

emen

t



Program Evaluation and Monitoring

Implementation Monitoring

Effectiveness Monitoring

Validation Monitoring

DESIREDRESULT

Activity Measures

Outcome Measures

Impact Measures

Activities produce outcomes

Outcomes have impacts

Impacts are assumed to produce the desired result

Was the activity implemented as designed?

Did the activity produce the desired outcome?

Did the outcome yield the desired result, i.e., was our assumption valid?

MONITORING

MEASURES

EVALUATION



Contact

Dave WardSnohomish County Public Works, Surface Water Management Division

Phone: 425-388-3464, extension 4667

Email: [email protected]

Website: petwaste.surfacewater.info

Pet waste website for agencies: h-petwaste.surfacewater.info

6 - strategy & program development - dave ward

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