On a recent walk around NARA park, the paved path around the pond was fouled with at least 15 piles of dog poop. Since this is a common walking path, many had been squished by the shoe of an innocent walker. The problem is not limited to this one park. The Nashoba Brook conservation area hiking trail also had over a dozen piles of unbagged feces tainting the trail as well as at least ten brightly colored plastic bags of poop left by the side of the trail or in the parking lots. Joe Will, a member of the Acton Land Steward Committee, recently recorded five bags of dog poop littered around Ice House Pond and Morrison Farm – including one suspended in a tree. Another land steward, John Watlington, removed 24 poop bags from around the Arboretum’s fish pond. Bettina Abe reports that, as a volunteer at the Arboretum, “it’s particularly challenging as we start crawling around on our hands and knees weeding and cleaning up gardens and trails. It’s not fun to get that close and personal with dog doo.”
Perhaps the spring thaw is revealing a whole season’s worth of dog poop that was covered and preserved by the snow. But the scope of the dog poop problem in our parks and on our trails indicates that more effort is needed to pick up after our pets.
Acton has 1601 registered dogs in 2026. But this is not a dog problem. This is a human problem. It takes a community to set the norms and expectations of picking up after our dogs.
The main reason for properly disposing of dog feces is to keep our public spaces — and our shoes — clean. Unbagged poop left directly on walking trails is unsightly and likely to be stepped on. Some dog walkers bag their dog’s poop and then leave the bags along the path. They presumably intend to pick up the bag on their way back, but regardless of intention, many bags are left behind. Most public parks in Acton have trash barrels, and some even have special dog waste stations with collection bags to encourage proper disposal.
Acton conservation lands do not have trash barrels. Hikers are expected to follow “Leave no trace” guidelines, including carrying out dog waste and bringing it home for disposal. Leaving bagged poop anywhere in our conservation areas is essentially leaving a plastic bag that will never degrade. Even biodegradable poop bags don’t break down properly and have ecological impact.
Wild animals poop in the woods all the time, so why can’t dog poop be left to decompose as long as it is not on the trail? While some humans have good intentions in flicking dog poop off the trail so others don’t step in it, the poop still poses a problem. The Acton Sustainability office sent a flyer with all dog license renewals that describes the ecological impact of dog waste. “Pet waste contains germs and bacteria that can be harmful to human health and to our waterways and can even cause algae to grow. Water with increased bacteria and algae can have serious, and sometimes fatal, consequences for aquatic life, humans, and our pets.”
There are many responsible dog owners in Acton. The majority of dog poop is properly disposed of as evidenced by the many colorful dog waste bags in the trash bins at NARA park, which vastly outnumber the piles left on the sidewalk. But concerned residents fear that when just one or two people fail to comply with the societal expectation for poop disposal, others may think it’s okay and start leaving poop behind.
So what can be done to clean up these dog feces? First, always pick up after your own pets and dispose of the poop in the trash. As Miriam Lezak, editor of the Acton Exchange, humorously put it, “The poop fairy doesn’t magically clean up after your pet.” If you see other dog owners leaving waste behind, a gentle reminder and some education on the issue might help rectify the behavior.
What about the piles left behind with no witnesses? First, assume good intentions from your dog-owning neighbors. Perhaps they did not see their dog do their business, or they ran out of bags, or they left a full bag by the trail but forgot to pick it up on their way back, or they are unaware of the problem of undisposed dog poop. If any of these reasons might apply to you, then consider repairing your karma by grabbing a bag, holding your nose, and picking up some poop, whether it belongs to your dog or not. Then give yourself a pat on the back for your good deed (after washing your hands of course).
Tom Wolf is an Acton Land Steward and a dog owner. He writes for the Acton Exchange on various topics, usually related to nature and environment.
