Dog poo turning green – the power of science

Hey Julie,

Thanks for the run down on ScienceOnline and ‘Lend a Paw’ month. 

I completed the survey about my cat’s behaviour, it was quick and easy to do. 

I also liked your stroking video, but I’ll get back to that later, right now I need to tell you how dog poo (I think you usually say ‘poop’ in the USA?) is turning green.

Dog poo is turning green

It’s turning green and it’s thanks to the power of science. Or perhaps it’s the science of power? It’s easy to get confused. 

(source)

The important bit is that a Melbourne-based entrepreneur, Duncan Chew, received funding in 2012 from the Inspiring Australia strategy for his idea to turn dog waste into energy to light up parks around Australia. Titled Poo Power!, his project is using science to help our communities live more sustainably.

How big is this issue?

In Australia, we have one of the highest incidences of pet ownership in the world with over 60% of households owning a pet. The average dog produces 0.34 kilograms (that’s 0.75 lb) of faeces per day.

Do the maths, and that’s around 1.4 tonnes of dog poo needing to be disposed of DAILY in Australia, which adds up to a colossal 490,000 tonnes each year!

490 MILLION KG!  That’s 1,080,270 MILLION lbs!

(or almost 20 million labradors if you were following my pre-post riddle clues on our Facebook page!)

The USA have more than 20 times the number of dogs as Australia. Just saying.

The issue of dog waste disposal (what I like to call Poo-llution!) is an especially important issue in areas of growing urbanisation, cities with limited park spaces and in light of declining landfill site availability.

Using our love of dogs to brighten the future

Dog poo light? Not as silly as it might seem! (source)

The project will see a series of biogas generators turn dog waste into energy for lighting up Melbourne parks, at the same time as engaging audiences on the issue of ‘what is waste?’, and the potential opportunities posed by reassessing waste management practices. 1kg of dog poo will give you about 25-30 litres of raw biogas.

Biogas harvesting is achieved utilising anaerobic digestion (where a bunch of microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen) to produce a renewable energy source that can be used to power lighting. Or cooking! Imagine having a coffee as your dog runs around the park, while the coffee machine was powered by your dog’s poo!

I’m not talking crap (well, I am)

We know this can work. This kind of project has been implemented previously at ‘Park Spark’ in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near MIT. 

Munich Zoo similarly harness the energy of their animals’ faecal output to help power their operations. Imagine if shelters and other kennel facilities could use this system to reduce their power consumption and expenses? That would be awesome!

(source)

Can’t get enough of green dog poo? 

If you’d like to hear more and you happen to be in Melbourne this weekend, a) you should come over to my place, so we can say hi, and b) you can watch Duncan Chew and Melbourne filmmaker James Boldiston talk about the Poo Power! project at 12 midday on Saturday 16 February 2013 in ‘The Big Tent’ at Federation Square as part of the Sustainable Living Festival. Otherwise, you can keep up with further developments at the Poo Power! website. 

I’ll be touching base with you again after I speak at the RSPCA Scientific Seminar. 

Looking forward to having lots to report about animals and the science of positive welfare – more stroking!

Mia 

Further reading:

Miller R. & Howell G.V.J. (2008). Regulating consumption with bite: Building a contemporary framework for urban dog management, Journal of Business Research, 61 (5) 525-531. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2007.07.006 

Wells D.L. (2006). Factors Influencing Owners Reactions to Their Dogs Fouling, Environment and Behavior, 38 (5) 707-714. DOI: 10.1177/0013916505284794 

Okoroigwe E.C., Ibeto C.N. & Okpara C.G. (2010). Comparative Study of the Potential of Dog Waste for Biogas Production, Trends in Applied Sciences Research, 5 (1) 71-77. DOI: 10.3923/tasr.2010.71.77 

Nemiroff L. (2007). Design, Testing and Implementation of a Large-Scale Urban Dog Waste Composting Program, Compost Science & Utilization, 15 (4) 237-242. Link: click here to view PDF

© Mia Cobb 2012

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Working dogs working together

Hey Julie!

Its the weekend and Im racing about catching up after an amazing past fortnight! Its been a whirlwind and by gee, do I have some super fun things to tell you about!


Working dogs, working together

My first news is what has been keeping me flat out busy over the first half of this year, and ESPECIALLY for the past fortnight. 

Im excited to introduce to you, the Australian Working Dog Alliance!

You know all about my work with the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS) working group and working dog research projects over the past six years, but I might not have mentioned that this year, the project team were given seed funding by AAWS to actually implement the first year of activities outlined in the Australian Working Dog Industry Action Plan. 

To do this, we realised that we needed to have an administrative home - an organisation that could drive the initiatives and partner with other groups and sponsor companies to maximise our reach - and so, the Working Dog Alliance has been founded. It is a registered not-for-profit organisation, that works with a diverse industry stakeholder network to improve the welfare of Australias working and sporting dogs. 

The organisation will publicly launch in August, after the next national AAWS workshop. The Alliances industry hub (and resource-filled!) website will launch then too, but if you want to keep in the loop, you can register on the webpage for email updates here or keep track of our progress on the Facebook page.

For the past two weeks, Ive been travelling interstate with my colleague, Dr Nick Branson, visiting many groups to talk about the Working Dog Alliance, the Australian Working Dog Industry Action Plan and inviting them to be part of it all. Im so happy to report that weve had the most positive and enthusiastic welcome we could have hoped for! Weve met with over ten representative groups and bodies from various government, assistance and sporting dog, animal advocacy and rescue group industry sectors so far, and all have been keen to talk about their work and how the Alliance can help in sharing the best bits around the industry. 

Well continue these meetings with many more working and sporting dog groups in the coming months.

G2Z

In other exciting news, Im really looking forward to speaking at the annual Getting 2 Zero Summit in September.

If you havent heard of it, G2Z is a model that

"details the principles, structures and strategies for achieving zero killing of healthy and treatable cats and dogs (more than 90% of all incoming stray and surrendered cats and dogs) in whole communities"

Ill be there to share some of the things (science things, personal things, silly things, etc.) Ive learned about social media in the year that weve been blogging together here on Do You Believe in Dog? - it will be great fun to join this group of highly committed and resourceful attendees. Im sure Ill be learning lots of things!


Dog bearding

Now, it IS the weekend here, and I have to admit that my fancy has been somewhat tickled by the recent trend of dog beard photos. 

Id love to invite you, and anyone else, to take a crack (but only if with a relaxed and willing canine conspirator - of course!) at creating one of these magical illusions!

Ill post my efforts on the DYBID Facebook page.

Your last post about measuring dogs and pro-actively preparing dogs to maximise their comfort in life, was fantastic (and not just because it started with "May I have your urine, please?"). 

caninescience.info

Dont forget - SPARCS!

Dont forget the SPARCS international conference next weekend! Only 1 week away! Streaming direct into your lounge room, world wide!

Exciting! 

Set your alarm/s - Ive got mine ready to go,


Mia

Further reading:

N. Branson, M. Cobb, P. McGreevy (2012). Australian Working Dog Industry Action Plan 2013-15. Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

N. Branson, M. Cobb, P. McGreevy (2010). Australian Working Dog Survey Report 2009. Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Bik H.M. & Goldstein M.C. (2013). An introduction to social media for scientists., PLoS biology, PMID: 23630451

© 2013 Mia Cobb

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The Power of a Dogs Bond

By Linda Cole

Late one night while outside with my three dogs, the sudden presence of a coyote startled us all; my dogs quickly gathered around me. I thought it was because they were scared, but they were ready to protect me. When a dog gives us their trust, the bond we share will never be broken by the pet. The following four dogs illustrate the importance of loyalty, love and a bond that cant be broken.

Mari

When Mari gave birth to three Shiba Inu puppies the morning of October 23, 2004, she had no idea that by the end of the day, shed be fighting to save her puppies and a human member of her family. That fateful day, a devastating earthquake rocked Japan. The village Maris family lived in was hit the hardest and most of the homes collapsed, including the one Mari was in with her pups. Violent tremors, and a leash restraining her, separated Mari from her pups. She struggled to free herself, but the leash wouldnt budge. As more tremors came, Mari gave a last desperate pull and broke free. She quickly moved her pups to a safe place before racing back into the demolished home.

The grandfather had been in his room upstairs when the quake hit. Mari found him trapped under a dresser. As the old man slowly regained consciousness, she licked his face to let him know she was there. Mari ran back and forth checking on her pups and the grandfather, her paws cut and bleeding from walking over broken glass and porcelain. The grandfather eventually found the strength to push the dresser off and with Maris help, got out of the collapsed home.

Hawkeye 

Navy Seal Jon Tumilson shared a strong bond with his black Lab, Hawkeye. When Tumilson deployed to Afghanistan, he left Hawkeye with his best friend, Scott Nichols, in Rockford, Iowa. Tumilson knew Hawkeye was in good hands. On August 6, 2011 the Chinook helicopter carrying Tumilson and 29 other Americans was shot down, killing everyone on board. Nichols was slated to speak at his friends funeral and as he approached the podium, Hawkeye quietly followed, stopping at the flag draped casket. He let out a heavy sigh, lying down beside his fallen owner for the rest of the service. Lisa Pembleton, Tumilsons cousin, took the heartbreaking photo that went around the world and became a touching tribute of a dogs devotion. Scott Nichols adopted Hawkeye.

Shep 

In August, 1936, a sheepherder became gravely ill and went to the hospital in Fort Benton, Montana. No one paid attention to a large brown and white collie mix waiting patiently outside by the hospital door. Three days later, the man passed away and his body was readied for shipment to his family. When his coffin was wheeled to the train station, the dog was the only mourner following and as the train door closed, he whined his sadness. Shep, named by railroad employees, became a fixture on the station platform, greeting each train that pulled into the station. His tail eager with anticipation before drooping in disappointment as each train left the station.

For five and a half years, Shep lived under the stations platform, surviving on scraps from railroad employees. As word of his loyalty spread, offers to adopt him poured into the station, but those who cared for him knew the only place the old dog wanted to be was on the railroad platform when a train pulled in. Living under the platform was hard on him. On January 12, 1942, he didnt hear an approaching train. A dusting of snow made the tracks slick and when he noticed the train, he slipped underneath it trying to move out of the way, dying instantly. His death was reported by both wire services and hundreds of mourners paid their last respects two days later as they laid him to rest on a bluff overlooking the train station where he continues his lonely vigil.

Dorado

Omar Eduardo Rivera worked as a computer technician on the 71st floor of the World Trade Center, where he was on September 11, 2001. When the realization of what happened became clear, people began evacuating down the stairs. Rivera, however, wasnt one of those people. He was blind and knew it would be hard to navigate the steps with all of the confusion and debris. He made a decision to stay where he was, and unhooked the leash from his guide dog, Dorado, so he could have a chance to escape the building. Rivera gave him a pat on the head, nudged him towards the stairwell and commanded Dorado to go. The dog was quickly overtaken by people hurrying down the steps and swept along with the crowd. But Dorado wasnt about to leave his owner behind. He worked his way back to Rivera, nuzzling his leg to let him know he was back. With Dorado by his side, Rivera began the long climb down, aided by a co-worker. It took them almost an hour to navigate the 70 flights of stairs, but they made it out safely because of a loyal dog who wouldnt leave his owner behind.

Top photo by Tim Dawson
Bottom photo by Polly Peterson

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How Archaeologists Use the Power of a Dogs Nose

By Linda Cole

Dogs are famous for their acute sense of smell. Beagles have been employed as bed bug detection dogs, and they sniff bags in airports to check for illegal fruits and vegetables being brought in by travelers. Drug and bomb sniffing dogs are trained to detect the smallest hint of contraband or explosives. More recently, archaeologists have discovered a dog with a good nose can be trained to search for smells that will tell us about our historical past buried in prehistoric grave sites. Now thats a dog with a keen sense of smell!

When comparing scent receptors, we humans are woefully inadequate to dogs. Humans have around five million scent receptors in their nose, and the average canine has around 200 million. Adding to a dogs extraordinary scenting ability is an organ located on the roof of the mouth that allows them to “taste” a smell, as well. So when we catch a whiff of steaks grilling on a BBQ close by, you can imagine how that mouth-watering scent is affecting your dog. Dogs are also capable of honing in on one specific smell among many. Once they find what theyre looking for, their focus is on that one smell, and they can follow it to its source. Thats why its nearly impossible to evade a tracking Bloodhound.

Historical Human Remains Detection dogs (HHRD) are trained to sniff out lingering odors from bones and teeth in old grave sites, some that may be thousands of years old. These unique canines are the newest detection dogs, and they help humans search for information underground that is difficult for us to find on our own. These specially trained dogs have been used by archaeologists, construction companies and ordinary people to locate American Indian burial sites, lost family cemeteries and unmarked grave sites.

We live in the present, but our history is buried in the past. We learn who we are as a people by understanding who we were in the past. Spread across this land are historical and prehistoric grave sites that can take us back to another time. In many cases, finding a hundred-year-old family burial spot isnt of any real value to most people, but it is to the family searching for their roots.

Prehistoric bones found in a site somewhere out west may not be of particular interest to the average person, but it could reveal another clue to someones ancestral history. Our buried history is spread out across the country as this land was settled by pioneers. Finding these burial sites, especially ones with historical value, allows archaeologists to preserve another part of our past before its covered over by a highway, parking lot or office building.

The advantage of using dogs to detect odors beneath the ground is that its a non-evasive method, and it can save time and money. Instead of having to search an entire field to find ancient bones, the dogs are quickly able to pinpoint a location. Along with other searching tools, like ground penetrating radar equipment, a search team has a better idea of where to focus their attention. Dogs have been used a lot on the West Coast to identify sacred Native American burial grounds before an area is developed.

These bone sniffing dogs have been helping researchers find evidence to piece together the tragic story of the Donner Party who in 1846 found themselves trapped in the worst snowstorm to hit the Sierras. Only 40 people out of 81 survived. The dogs were able to pinpoint other possible campsites that had been missed by archaeologists, and find small bones that can be identified if current family members can supply DNA.

A Historical Human Remains dog named Nessie worked with archaeologists excavating a Neolithic Age site from 5000 BC located in Prague, Czech Republic. The Border Collie also located previously undetected graves dating back to 450 A.D. on a construction site in another part of Prague.

Because a dogs nose is so powerful, law enforcement officials and archaeologists have discovered a canine can locate a grave site much faster than they can, and the dogs have established an impressive record for being right. Finding ancient burial grounds, unmarked graves from years past, or long lost family cemeteries is important to the people searching. And its a job only a dog can do, because of his incredible and powerful nose!

Top photo by cursed thing
Bottom photo by Peter Corbett

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