Richard Summers/Flickr
When it comes to public policy, dog doo is an old standard. “Tackling canine waste,” wrote the New York Times of the City’s former mayor, “became a milestone of Mr. Koch’s political career.” Calling for tougher regulation helped launch Harvey Milk’s political career. For humor writer David Sedaris, the willingness of American pet owners to clean up after their dogs serves as signature evidence of American exceptionalism.
Paul Goodland, an accountant based in London’s South Kensington neighborhood, is moving beyond political rhetoric and memoir. Frustrated by the disregard of dog owners in his area, Goodland launched NoDogDoo.com: a site that provides pedestrians a place to upload photos and videos of waste.
“The site,” wrote Lauren Collins of The New Yorker, ”combines the surveillance aspect of the community watch with the immediacy of social media. It aspires to be what Twitter might be, if Twitter had a sense of smell and a brand new pair of white sneakers.”
NoDogDoo.com is far from the world’s most elegant site. There are only five videos posted (Goodland admitting to posting most of them himself). There is no mobile app or geotagging feature in development. Still, there’s something elegant about Goodland’s effort. There’s no gold medal in this contest, but he’s showing up and giving it a go all the same.
