Program
Community and Regional Planning
College
Architecture and Planning
Student Level
Master's
Start Date
7-11-2018 3:00 PM
End Date
7-11-2018 4:00 PM
Abstract
This research seeks to understand the effectiveness of the There is no Poop Fairy campaign through a public survey of dog owners. The There Is No Poop Fairy campaign was initiated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2014, with the goal of getting dog owners to pick up and properly dispose of their dogs’ waste. The Rio Grande is contaminated with E. coli bacteria that originates in part from dog waste, which is carried to the river through storm water. Levels of E. coli in the Rio Grande have decreased dramatically within the past few years, coincident with the campaign. The main purpose of the study is to better understand whether or not the There Is No Poop Fairy Campaign may have contributed to the decrease in E. coli by surveying dog owners who live in the focus area of the campaign about their exposure to the campaign information and any subsequent changes in behavior. The research also investigates other issues such as dog owners’ feelings of responsibility in picking up their dogs’ waste (i.e., is it up to them or somebody else?) and the acceptability in leaving dog poop behind in public spaces (e.g., parks and open space settings). This is a non-probability survey and will be conducted using convenience sampling methods. To date, there have been approximately n=50 survey participants, with the goal of reaching 500-1000 participants. The survey will be conducted from October 1st, 2018 through December 1st, 2018. The findings will be of interest to other scholars in this area of research as well as city and county officials and scientists who are interested in the effectiveness of voluntary community campaigns related to environmental and public health.
The Effectiveness of Albuquerque's "There Is No Poop Fairy" Campaign
This research seeks to understand the effectiveness of the There is no Poop Fairy campaign through a public survey of dog owners. The There Is No Poop Fairy campaign was initiated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2014, with the goal of getting dog owners to pick up and properly dispose of their dogs’ waste. The Rio Grande is contaminated with E. coli bacteria that originates in part from dog waste, which is carried to the river through storm water. Levels of E. coli in the Rio Grande have decreased dramatically within the past few years, coincident with the campaign. The main purpose of the study is to better understand whether or not the There Is No Poop Fairy Campaign may have contributed to the decrease in E. coli by surveying dog owners who live in the focus area of the campaign about their exposure to the campaign information and any subsequent changes in behavior. The research also investigates other issues such as dog owners’ feelings of responsibility in picking up their dogs’ waste (i.e., is it up to them or somebody else?) and the acceptability in leaving dog poop behind in public spaces (e.g., parks and open space settings). This is a non-probability survey and will be conducted using convenience sampling methods. To date, there have been approximately n=50 survey participants, with the goal of reaching 500-1000 participants. The survey will be conducted from October 1st, 2018 through December 1st, 2018. The findings will be of interest to other scholars in this area of research as well as city and county officials and scientists who are interested in the effectiveness of voluntary community campaigns related to environmental and public health.
