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Scoop’s Story
Years ago, Dupont pet owners walked their dogs on the sidewalk and their dogs pooped on the sidewalk. Pedestrians in our neighborhood literally had to watch where they were walking or arrive home with messy shoes to clean.
Then Dupont Circle Citizens Association (DCCA) President, the late Marilyn Groves, bumped into a neighbor on the 1700 block of Q Street NW. The neighbor had a new and very large puppy. The conversation went from that’s going to be a big dog to the dog poop sidewalk problem. People complain about a problem, community activists complain about a problem and then do something to solve the problem. Marilyn found a neighborhood artist to design a sign. The artist created the message of “Scoop Your Pet’s Poop.” To lighten the message, the artist created a white dog wearing a dog tag-“Scoop” with one paw on hip and the other paw holding a pooper-scooper. DCCA got permission from the city to put up the signs in public space. DCCA made the anodized aluminum signs and sold them at cost. The signs worked. The improvement in sidewalk cleanliness was noticeable.
The original signs read, “It’s the law, $25. Fine.” DCCA successfully lobbied to get the fine for not cleaning up after your pet raised to its current $100 fine. That outdated all the original signs. The new signs read, “Be Considerate, It’s the Law.”
Some time later, then DCCA President Margaret Young called me with an idea that she was too embarrassed to tell anyone. Please note that she called me. It took awhile to get her to confess what this embarrassing idea was. Finally, she asked what did I think about getting a people-sized Scoop costume based on the sign? When I stopped laughing, the rest was history.
Margaret found a company in Bethesda to make the suit. I made the big dog tag. Since a big dog needs a big pooper-scooper, I borrowed Marge and David’s red snow shovel. They never got their snow shovel back and I feel bad about never buying them a new snow shovel.
Scoop’s first appearance was at the newly opened Studio Theater. Frank Chalmers was a DCCA member, dignified retired engineer and the person responsible for distributing the Scoop signs. Backstage, an embarrassed Frank helped an equally embarrassed me to put on the suit for the first time. Then with trepidation Scoop walked to and then through the stage curtain. It was absolute magic. People laughed. People smiled. People waved. Scoop forever went from embarrassing to great fun.
Scoop’s first public appearance was for the 20th anniversary of Earth Day at a celebration at Meridian Hill Park followed with a parade to the Mall. Scoop is a hot puppy with limited vision and more importantly-no ventilation. I wore the suit for the celebration and then Catherine Groves wore the suit for the parade. To be honest, she was a much better dog than I was. From her I learned how to be a better dog.
Since those first appearances, Scoop has wandered the neighborhood and Scoop loves to see pet owners wave their plastic baggies. He has been part of an elementary school safety/sanitation program, appeared with dignitaries and famous celebrities, made assorted public appearances throughout DC, even visited a hospice and appeared in our neighborhood’s biggest event-the Pride Parade.
At a Keep DC Beautiful event with the Mayor, Scoop appeared for the first time with Smokey the Bear. I was thrilled and emotionally felt like a little kid. It took awhile before I could figure out why. Smokey is Scoop’s role model.
Scoop’s weirdest moment was one Pride Parade when the parade stalled to a stop. I was melting in the heat. A not too sober woman started stroking Scoop and asked if I know what furries were. Thanks to the TV show CSI, I did know. Sitting on the back of a car I’m thinking, “Oh great, she is turned on by the dog, Scoop is getting hit on and I’m dying from the heat.” She finally announced that she needed another drink and said goodbye. Then I was very grateful when someone came up and rubbed an ice cube on my neck.
When Friends of Ross co-founder Debby Hanrahan’s son Tim was in college, he asked his mom for a Scoop sign for his dorm room.
Has Scoop been successful? My observations over time are that the signs made about a 50% sidewalk improvement and the two-legged Scoop has helped raise the sidewalk improvement to almost 100%. That is an impressive success rate and it all started with a chance encounter between neighbors discussing a problem, finding a solution and later, one embarrassing idea.
Years ago, Dupont pet owners walked their dogs on the sidewalk and their dogs pooped on the sidewalk. Pedestrians in our neighborhood literally had to watch where they were walking or arrive home with messy shoes to clean.
Then Dupont Circle Citizens Association (DCCA) President, the late Marilyn Groves, bumped into a neighbor on the 1700 block of Q Street NW. The neighbor had a new and very large puppy. The conversation went from that’s going to be a big dog to the dog poop sidewalk problem. People complain about a problem, community activists complain about a problem and then do something to solve the problem. Marilyn found a neighborhood artist to design a sign. The artist created the message of “Scoop Your Pet’s Poop.” To lighten the message, the artist created a white dog wearing a dog tag-“Scoop” with one paw on hip and the other paw holding a pooper-scooper. DCCA got permission from the city to put up the signs in public space. DCCA made the anodized aluminum signs and sold them at cost. The signs worked. The improvement in sidewalk cleanliness was noticeable.
The original signs read, “It’s the law, $25. Fine.” DCCA successfully lobbied to get the fine for not cleaning up after your pet raised to its current $100 fine. That outdated all the original signs. The new signs read, “Be Considerate, It’s the Law.”
Some time later, then DCCA President Margaret Young called me with an idea that she was too embarrassed to tell anyone. Please note that she called me. It took awhile to get her to confess what this embarrassing idea was. Finally, she asked what did I think about getting a people-sized Scoop costume based on the sign? When I stopped laughing, the rest was history.
Margaret found a company in Bethesda to make the suit. I made the big dog tag. Since a big dog needs a big pooper-scooper, I borrowed Marge and David’s red snow shovel. They never got their snow shovel back and I feel bad about never buying them a new snow shovel.
Scoop’s first appearance was at the newly opened Studio Theater. Frank Chalmers was a DCCA member, dignified retired engineer and the person responsible for distributing the Scoop signs. Backstage, an embarrassed Frank helped an equally embarrassed me to put on the suit for the first time. Then with trepidation Scoop walked to and then through the stage curtain. It was absolute magic. People laughed. People smiled. People waved. Scoop forever went from embarrassing to great fun.
Scoop’s first public appearance was for the 20th anniversary of Earth Day at a celebration at Meridian Hill Park followed with a parade to the Mall. Scoop is a hot puppy with limited vision and more importantly-no ventilation. I wore the suit for the celebration and then Catherine Groves wore the suit for the parade. To be honest, she was a much better dog than I was. From her I learned how to be a better dog.
Since those first appearances, Scoop has wandered the neighborhood and Scoop loves to see pet owners wave their plastic baggies. He has been part of an elementary school safety/sanitation program, appeared with dignitaries and famous celebrities, made assorted public appearances throughout DC, even visited a hospice and appeared in our neighborhood’s biggest event-the Pride Parade.
At a Keep DC Beautiful event with the Mayor, Scoop appeared for the first time with Smokey the Bear. I was thrilled and emotionally felt like a little kid. It took awhile before I could figure out why. Smokey is Scoop’s role model.
Scoop’s weirdest moment was one Pride Parade when the parade stalled to a stop. I was melting in the heat. A not too sober woman started stroking Scoop and asked if I know what furries were. Thanks to the TV show CSI, I did know. Sitting on the back of a car I’m thinking, “Oh great, she is turned on by the dog, Scoop is getting hit on and I’m dying from the heat.” She finally announced that she needed another drink and said goodbye. Then I was very grateful when someone came up and rubbed an ice cube on my neck.
When Friends of Ross co-founder Debby Hanrahan’s son Tim was in college, he asked his mom for a Scoop sign for his dorm room.
Has Scoop been successful? My observations over time are that the signs made about a 50% sidewalk improvement and the two-legged Scoop has helped raise the sidewalk improvement to almost 100%. That is an impressive success rate and it all started with a chance encounter between neighbors discussing a problem, finding a solution and later, one embarrassing idea.
