‘Poop angels’ scooping doggie doo to keep Vancouver clean

Dog 'poop angels' keeping Vancouver clean A Vancouver resident and dog owner has formed a group of 'poop angels' that clean up what 'crappy' dog owners don’t.

If you’ve ever stepped in dog poop and been angered by it, Eileen Mosca may be your new best friend.

The Vancouver resident and dog owner has formed a group of "poop angels" that clean up what "crappy" dog owners don’t.

“We can eliminate this issue, which is a nasty one really,” Mosca said, who lives in the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood. “But I don’t think it’s a lot of owners, it’s just a very small minority.”

The small group is responsible for a big mess: “poop angels” find dog waste left behind in parks, fields, and even school yards where children play.

Despite signs urging dog owners to clean up after their pets, Mosca gets all kinds of excuses.

“Some of the answers are, ‘oh it's organic, nature will take care of it',” she said. “I usually say, ‘oh did you forget a bag? Here's a bag.’ And sometimes they just sneer at you.”

She adds there are some owners who won’t clean up, no matter what.

“Ticketing doesn't stop them, signs saying ‘clean up after your dog’ have no impact on them because they're not going to do it,” Mosca said.

With this in mind, Mosca began a campaign of sorts, putting up posters urging others to join her and become so-called “poop angels” and clean up after others – one turd at a time.

It may seem like a small deed, but it could have a big-impact in a city filled with four-legged, pooping friends.

“All we have to do is make people think there's nothing wrong with picking up another dog's poo,” she said. “It's the same as your dog’s poo.”

With files from CTV Vancouver’s Michele Brunoro