Throughout the summer Great Lakes Echo will feature an occasional series of public service announcements produced by Michigan’s Ottawa County Health Department to promote clean beaches.
This one encourages beachgoers to leave their pets at home.
“As far as pets go, it is the problem of owner’s not picking up after their pets,” said Kristina Wieghmink, communications specialist for the health department. “It’s the excrement washed into the water that causes a potential health risk.”
Echo recently reported that abandoned pet waste can lead to human health hazards.
Approximately 40 percent of dog owners do not pick up their pets’ waste at all, according to a survey from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Follow this link to other clean beach notices.
The campaign is funded through grants from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.