Decreasing Dog Litter

Abstract

The present study describes a collaborative effort between an ad hoc community group and a university-based research team. The community group formed to ameliorate a health and aesthetic problem—namely, the excessive accumulation of dog feces deposited on sidewalks and lawns. The community group identified the target problem and contributed resources and labor for the mounted interventions, with the community psychologists providing training in relevant behavioral technologies and evaluating the interventions' efficacy. Over a nine-month period, two interventions were implemented, and levels of dog litter were significantly reduced with the onset of the second intervention. Advantages in working with informal support systems within communities are delineated.