There’s A Problem In Colorado Parks, Dog Poop!

Colorado Parks & Wildlife workers and volunteers try and keep up with the growing problem.

Colorado State Parks are some of the best in the US! Hiking, camping, biking, and the outdoors are a way of life. Coloradoans are dog-lovers too. In most parks, dog owners are welcome to bring their pets. However, there's a growing problem in Colorado's State and National parks, people not cleaning up after their dogs.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife staff and volunteers say the problem is getting worse. The solution is easy...pick up the poop! Dog etiquette is to be observed at all times while in Colorado parks. There's a Dog Etiquette checklist on the Colorado Parks & Wildlife website. You can access that information by clicking HERE.

Also too, dog and other pets aren't welcomed in every state park. Each one is its own distinct set of rules and regulations. Click on the Park Finder link to get the info for the park you're interested in visiting. You can do that HERE.

Think the dog poop isn't a problem? You may want to ask the folks in Breckenridge. A dog park there had to shut down because of fecal bacteria levels in the water. The city posted the information on its Facebook page that the local dog park would be closed until further notice. You may be saying to yourself "that's a local problem and isn't the same situation at a state park." That may be true but the fact is nobody wants to encounter dog waste along a trail. “If you leave your trash (and waste) with it too, the wildlife might actually eat it and they could actually get sick and die," so says CP&W spokesperson Jason Clay. “Yeah, we see it all the time – people not picking up after their dogs.”.

Clay repeats what's already been said, the fix is simple – pick up after their dog. “Pack out what you pack in, and that includes your pet’s waste.”

Credit: The Denver Channel