City of Carmel taking steps to reduce dog waste litter on beaches

In response to a recent increase in the number of dog-waste bags (aka Mutt being abandoned on Carmel Beach, the city of Carmel is taking steps to reduce the problem.

The Public Safety Department is working with its animal control officers to teach pet owners about cleaning up after their animals. The city is also working with Save the Whales to put stickers on the “Mutt Mitts” to remind pet owners that while the bags are biodegradable, they still need to be disposed of properly in trash bins.

Another idea being considered is changing the color of these dog waste bags from black to hot pink, in an effort to shed light on the problem and motivate pet owners to dispose of them properly.

City officials are concerned that placing trashcans directly on the beach would lead to more trash ending up in the ocean. Visitors are instead asked to dispose of dog waste bags in the trashcans located at the top of each staircase to the beach or in the bins located in the parking lot at Ocean Avenue.

Next summer, the city of Carmel will have a full-time supervisor stationed on Carmel Beach in order to assist in educating the public, while monitoring littering and trashcans on the beach,