XII Международный конкурс научно-исследовательских и творческих работ учащихся
Старт в науке
Dogs are our friends or...?
Автор работы награжден дипломом победителя II степени
Полная версия работы доступна во вкладке "Файлы работы" в формате PDF
Introduction
"When people take on a dog they think about the positives.
People don't always see the responsibility that goes with it."
Let us represent our project “Dogs are our friends or ...?”
Why is our project relevant?
We have chosen this topic because it is very actual nowadays all around the world. Today almost every family has a dog. We believe that most people keep animals because they make their lives happier. Dogs are the most popular pets in big cities. They are widespread because all of them can easily live within the apartment. But it is important for all owners to keep in mind that having an animal is a big responsibility. Dogs have basic needs that need to be fulfilled. But in fact, not all owners of dogs are really responsible.
The aim of our project
The aim of the project is to study dog rules in Britain and Russia and attract people’s attention to the problem of collecting and disposing of dog’s poop in Putilkovo.
The objectives of the project are
to study British dog laws in Britain;
to study Russian dog laws;
to inspect the territory of dogs walking in Putilkovo, Krasnogorsk;
to attract residents’ attention to the problem of cleaning up dogs poop in Putilkovo.
Hypothesis
If everybody everywhere realizes that picking up poop is a necessary job and starts doing this job, attitudes to dog poop disposal will change.
Chapter 1
Personal experience
I visited Great Britain, Cardiff two years ago. I stayed there with a family that had a dog. We used to take a dog out and I saw how the owners of the dog cleaned up its poop… I learnt some things that surprised me. And when I came home I shared my emotions with my schoolmates. This topic is very actual and painful in our village.
Dog poop pick up is the best way to show the difference. In Britain you can find dozens of fascinating inventions for collecting and disposing of dog poop. When you are out in public with your dog, the simplest approach is to grit your teeth, put your hand inside the poop bag, pick up the offending object and turn the bag inside out. If you don’t fancy putting the newly filled poop bag in your coat pocket you can take a hands free poop bag holder with you.
They offer three main methods of dog poop disposal:
Trashing
Flushing
Composting
You can dispose of your dog’s poop in a trash can that can be found in many areas in the UK.
Or you can take it home with you and flush it down your toilet. It is possible to buy flushable poop bags “Flush Puppies”. They can be flushed down the toilet or placed in a composter.
As for the family where I stayed they turned dog poop into compost. They had a small garden and their dog regularly walked there.The host collected up his dog’s poop from the garden every day.As I`ve been explained regular collection helps to reduce the risk of dogs or children picking up infections, and also helps to reduce the risk of your dog becoming a poop eater!
You can use gardening tools such as a shovel (in one hand) and a hoe or something similar with a long handle (in the other) but a commercialpooper scooper was a surprise for me.
Jaw clamp scooper
Turning dog poop into compost has great appeal. You can build your own composter or buy a commercially made one. One of the most popular commercial dog poop composters is the Doggie Dooley Large Pyramid Dog Toilet.
Dog rules in England
I told all these things to my schoolmates and we began to study special Dog Laws in Britain. We got to know that there were 7.3 million dogs in Britain last year. Between them, they produced an estimated 1,000 tons of dog mess a day. We soon discovered that this was something of a hot topic there.
All dog owners must raise and care for their dogs in a specific manner. Every dog, no matter its size or breed, must be trained in basic obedience.
1. Under Control
As of 1992, the Control of Dogs Order requires any dog in a public place to wear a collar and ID tag with the name and address of the owner on it. Failure to comply can lead to a £5,000 fine.
2.Dangerous Dogs
As of 1991, all breeds or types of Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosa, DogoArgentino or Filo Braziliero must be registered, neutered, microchipped, tattooed and insured.
If you illegally own one of these dogs, you can be hit with a maximum fine of £5,000and/or six month's imprisonment.
Pit Bull Terriers
Japanese Tosa
DogoArgentino
Filo Braziliero
3. Poop and Scoop
The remainder of UK dog owners who fail to scoop their dog's poop can be slapped with a £1,000 fine under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.
If you see a dog owner who is continuously breaking the dog fouling laws, you can report them to your local council.
We looked through the British forums and found some things like this: “Where I live there are people who will snap a camera pic of you walking away, email the photo to the cops and you get the fine and photo in the mail. This happened to me, I tried fightingthe fine but it did not work, next time pick it up, it’s so much easier than the ticket”
In 2015, a survey carried out by a British poo bag company — based on its bag sales in 17 countries. People in the United Kingdom were the most likely to pick up their dogs’ waste. The French were the least likely to pick up their dogs’ waste. It was based on years of observing dog owners in public places.
In any case, the struggle continues, and the tactics grow more desperate.
In 2013, Bristol, England, put up posters of a toddler, her face smeared with something brown, next to an image of dog doo. The caption: “Children will put anything in their mouths.”
Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=s5dTw3WCMpA
Laws on disposing of dog poop have become increasingly strict over the last few decades. Picking up poop isn’t fun, but it is an important and necessary job. In Britain a lot of people do it!
Chapter 2
Dog rules in Russia
Acquainted with the British dog care experience while walking we decided to find out how things are with dog walking and cleaning dogs poop in Putilkovo.
First of all, we read Constitution of Russian Federation and the law on dog walking in Russia. It establishes the following:
the waste products allocated by the dog both in public places and on special walking grounds must be removed immediately. True, on the basis of paragraph 8.4.4. Sanitary Regulations and Regulations No. 50 of August 22, 2014. Excreta should be thrown into special containers, the presence of which has been noted in far from all cities of Russia;
dog’s owner will have to pay from 1 000 to 2 000 rubles fine because of incorrect walking with a pet;
if a dog goes potty in the public places and the owner doesn’t clean up, he must pay 1000-2000 rubles fine.
We compared and saw the difference of the fines in Russia and in Britain.
|
In Britain |
In Russia |
|
£5,000 finebecause of walking with a pet in a public place without a collar and ID tag with the name and address of the owner on it |
from 1 000 to 2 000 rubles fine because of incorrect walking with a pet |
|
£1,000 fineif a dog goes potty in the public places the owner doesn’t clean up immediately |
1000-2000 rubles fine if a dog goes potty in the public places and the owner doesn’t clean up |
The first steps to make our area better
We decided to find out whether the law on dog walking in the territory of Putilkovo is observed. We inspected the territory of Putilkovo and also checked if the special playgrounds for dogs satisfy the requirements. It turned out that there is such a playground in Putilkovo. There are also special signs that remind owners of dogs where you can walk pets and where not, a fine is shown.
In residents’ opinion, this playground for dogs isn’t suitable enough for the area because of its small size, especially for large breed dogs. The size of the playground doesn’t satisfy the number of dogs in Putilkovo so the owners have to walk their dogs on the lawns, children’s playgrounds, sidewalks, even on Ulyanovskaya school terriroty and other prohibited places.
Our observations confirmed that not all owners clean up after their pets. We can see dog poop on the lawns and on the sidewalks. This is observed even on children's playgrounds! Although there are some conscious dogs’ owners who carry plastic bags and regularly clean up after their pets. But these owners are much less.
Where to throw the used plastic bags? We noticed that the trash bins are located only in front of the entrances of houses. And there are no trash bins where dogs are walked by their owners.
The problem is how to make dog owners clean up after their pets.
What have we done?
Perhaps the greatest weapon we now have in the war against poop is a change in public attitudes.
So we developed and distributed special leaflets, urging the dog owners to walk their pets in the places designated for this purpose and regularly clean up after their pets. We raided the local veterinary clinic, talked to veterinarians about the existing problem. We were supported and allowed to place special leaflets in the veterinary clinic. We also carried out explanatory work with the owners.
Besides, we purchased special scoops, bags, chocolate medals. When meeting with the owners of the dogs we held preventive conversations. Scoops and bags were handed so that the owners could clean up after the dogs. Those dog owners who had their own hygienic kit with a scoop for dog excrement were awarded chocolate medals. During the raid, 63 scoops with packages were transferred and 48 owners were awarded with medals! We are sure that we managed to reach out to dog owners!
We took part in Operation Clean Yard. Together, we cleaned the areas adjacent to the school, contaminated by dog excrement. After the work we have done, we placed leaflets with information about the need to clean up after the pets and keep the yard clean.
We also spoke to parents at parent meetings and met with representatives of management companies. They agreed with the existing problem, promised to think over our proposal and help by installing special plates denoting a ban on walking dogs and extra litter bins.
We introduced our project to Vladimir Afanasyevich Tsukanov, the head of the territorial administration. He endorsed our undertakings in this direction and promised to create a new area for dog walking on the territory of Putilkovo and put special signs.
Conclusion
Attitudes to dog poop disposal have changed.
Picking up poop isn’t fun, but it is an important and necessary job.
To scoop the poop demonstrates good citizenship, responsible pet stewardship and concern for the environment. When people ignore dog poop laws, doggy-doo ends up in lakes and rivers where it elevates bacteria levels, making swimming dangerous and sickening wildlife. When it rains, dog droppings wash into other people's lawns, where children play, people gather and garden, and other dogs come in contact with it. Picking up after your pet is your responsibility!
References and further reading
Curtis V, Biram A. Dirt, Disgust, and Disease is hygiene in our genes? Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 2001
Mateus T. Multiple Zoonotic Parasites Identified in Dog Feces Collected in Ponte de Lima, Portugal — A Potential Threat to Human Health. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health 2014
Pereira A et al. Prevalence of parasites in soil and dog feces according to diagnostic tests. Veterinary Parasitology 2010
Wang et al. Prevalence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium species in dog park attending dogs compared to non-dog park attending dogs in one region of Colorado. Veterinary Parasitology 2012
Shukla R et al Cryptosporidium spp. and other zoonotic enteric parasites in a sample of domestic dogs and cats in the Niagara region of Ontario. Canadian Veterinary Journal 2006 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1636587/
Batchelor D et al. Detection of Endoparasites with Zoonotic Potential in Dogs with Gastrointestinal Disease in the UK. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases 2008
Katagiri S, Oliviera-Sequeira T. Prevalence of Dog Intestinal Parasites and Risk Perception of Zoonotic Infection by Dog Owners in São Paulo State, Brazil. Zoonoses and Public Health 2008
Rinaldi et al. Canine faecal contamination and parasitic risk in the city of Naples (southern Italy) BMC Veterinary Research 2006
Papini et al. Occurrence and cyst burden of Giardia duodenalis in dog faecal deposits from urban green areas: Implications for environmental contamination and related risks. Preventative Veterinary Medicine 2009
Rubel and Wisnivesky. Magnitude and distribution of canine fecal contamination and helminth eggs in two areas of different urban structure, Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. Veterinary Parasitology 2005
Tudor P Soil Contamination with Canine Intestinal Parasites Eggs in the Parks and Shelter Dogs from Bucharest Area. Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia 2015
Wright M et al Microbial load from animal feces at a recreational beach. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2009
Conboy G. Canine angiostrongylosis: The French heartworm: An emerging threat in North America. Veterinary Parasitology 2011
Himsworth et al. Multiple Zoonotic Pathogens Identified in Canine Feces Collected from a Remote Canadian Indigenous Community American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Schets et al. Monitoring of Waterborne Pathogens in Surface Waters in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and the Potential Health Risk Associated with Exposure to Cryptosporidium and Giardia in These Waters. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2008