As part of our WaterSmart program, we have been conducting pet waste surveys to help us educate the public on the topic of pet waste and how it affects our local waters. We ran a pet portrait contest, then selected 12 winners. Here is a little bit about some of our winners, their dogs, and their love of the South Shore.
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I filled out the NSRWA questionnaire regarding pet waste because clean water (and trails free of piles of poop!) are important to me. Vera and I frequent Wildlife Management Areas which usually have water sources. Packing out her poop keeps the trails clear for others and keeps fecal contamination from entering the water table. Vera and I also compete in AKC Agility trials and if competitors did not pick up after their dogs (there are frequently 90+ dogs at a trial each day – which generates a lot of poop!) not only would it be a mess, the owners of the trial site would never allow us back again! Thank you to the NSRWA for putting the spotlight on the importance of keeping pet waste out of our water sources. ~ Kimberly Hatton
This is our favorite picture of our two beloved dogs, Junebug and Bennie, taken several years ago in Boston’s Seaport district. Junie passed on this past July after 16+ years of joy, loyalty and dogness. She was perfect. Bennie is now 10 years old and awaiting, unbeknownst to him, the arrival of a female Westie puppy that will join our pack in late February. He has clearly missed his lifelong companion. Junebug was a rescue from Houston, TX, whom we first met in a Connecticut Walmart parking lot when she arrived with a trailer full of dogs carried in a modern day freedom trail. What a site–dozens of dogs spilling out of the trailer as dozens of cars emptied of their expectant occupants. Bennie is our third Westie, a breed my wife apparently can’t live without 😊. Our Westies, perhaps especially Bennie, have been fun, intelligent and uncharacteristically cuddly. I love the look he gives me when I give him a command he has no intention of responding to. Junebug was always in the water when we took our walks and hikes. I think Bennie was jealous and always followed her in up to his belly. I guess we couldn’t have expected a lab-like plunge from a terrier. Thank you NSRWA for the work you do in support of our critical watershed. I grew up in Albany, NY, and spent my summers on the South River in Humarock. Back in the day, I could catch flounder off the Julian Street bridge and pull softshell clams out of the riverbed at low tide 100 feet from the cottage. I now live in Hingham and have supported the mission of NSRWA to restore our waterways to the somewhat idyllic 1960’s. Nature is our source. Let’s help keep it that way. ~ Paul Jeffrey
My family and I enjoy exploring the South Shore’s natural landscape where we can connect with nature alongside our dog Leo. The NSRWA website has been a great resource to hear about different areas to explore, and our kids have loved being part of their After School Outdoor Adventures program. ~ Hayley Crombie and Leo
The North River marshes are some of the most gorgeous scenery on the South Shore. I love how every time I see them, the change of the light and tide has created a whole new vista, and the air seems extra salty there, which feels like home to me. My dog Sally and I especially enjoy watching the wide variety of birds that call the coastal area home. ~ Mary Beth Doyle
Rusty just turned 15 years old. I adopted him from the Humane Society of St. Thomas in the USVI as a puppy in February 2011. He sailed back on the schooner “Spirit of Massachusetts” (now a floating restaurant, but at the time a sailing school vessel). We met my now wife Susannah in Charleston SC on the way north that spring. Despite being from the tropics, he loves winter and snow, and cold water doesn’t stop him from wading and swimming in the Jones River. ~ Matt Wheble
Shakespeare and I truly appreciate the work of the NSRWA team and volunteers! Our house abuts the South River and our daily walking route takes us along the river and over the Sea Street and Julian Street Bridges. Maintaining the health of the river is important to us and experiencing the wildlife and river life makes our walks so enjoyable and special. In season, swimming and kayaking the river are also fun for us. ~ Alan Rosenberg
We were thrilled to hear that we won the pet portrait, Evie is a big fan of sustainment and making sure our world is taken care of! ~ Sara Ong
WaterSmart is a nonprofit partnership between the NSRWA and 12 towns on the South Shore: Cohasset, Duxbury, Hanover, Hingham, Hull, Kingston, Marshfield, Norwell, Pembroke, Rockland, Scituate and Weymouth. Our programs are based on the belief that education is key. Since its creation, WaterSmart has educated thousands of local school-age children, adults, and businesses on water conservation, stormwater pollution, where their water comes from, and how to care for it.