Assignment 9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

The opportunity I chose is installing dog waste receptacles in my neighborhood as a result of increased dog waste. But, I wanted to have a better understanding of the unmet need for my opportunity in other areas. Therefore, the opportunity outside my boundary definition would be the implementation of my program of dog waste receptacles in Downtown Stuart, FL, because it is a geographical area outside of my neighborhood but still within my local area. Downtown Stuart is well-known for its stores, restaurants, and Riverwalk (boardwalk) alongside the St. Lucie River. I know that there are not only citizens that frequently come to Downtown Stuart daily, but there are also many business owners that should be interested in this waste receptacle program to keep the areas surrounding their stores clean and sanitary.

Summary of interviews

  

Interview 1: My first interview was with Diane, an elderly woman who has lived in the Downtown Stuart area for over 30 years and is retired. Diane spends time daily in Downtown Stuart doing things like having coffee with friends, going shopping, and attending functions at the Lyric Theatre. Unfortunately, Diane does not feel that it is her responsibility to pick up after other people’s dogs. Although she loves her hometown, she believes by picking up someone else’s dog waste, dog owners will become even less responsible about picking up after their pets because someone else is willing to do so.

Interview 2: For my second interview, I interviewed a woman named Jaclyn, who frequently goes to Downtown Stuart with her rescue pup. Jaclyn thinks this program would be great for the Downtown area and actually make her life easier by not having to buy dog waste bags for the trips she makes to Downtown Stuart, as well as not having to remember to bring dog bags with her when she heads Downtown to shop or meet friends. She also believes all other dog owners who frequently visit the downtown area would support the program and even spread the word that when downtown, you not only don’t have to worry about bringing dog waste bags and disposing of them because there are receptacle stations for dog waste.

Interview 3: My third interview was with Kai, who is a business owner in Downtown Stuart. She said that if she saw dog waste outside her store, she would likely pick it up and dispose of it in the provided receptacle. What was interesting was that Kai said if she saw dog waste that was in a location not near her store, she likely would not pick it up. She was honest in saying that she would really like to keep her storefront clean and sanitary for her customers and bystanders. She thinks other store owners should be responsible for picking up any dog waste that may occur outside of their storefronts.

Interview 4: My fourth interview was with Patty, who owns two stores in Downtown Stuart- Gumbo Limbo Coastal Chic and Gumbo Limbo Coastal Kids. She said that she is a dog lover at heart. She loves the idea of having receptacles throughout Downtown Stuart. She also noted that her dogs and her daughter’s dog are paper trained, so they never leave the store during the day, especially not to go to the bathroom. While she is interested in keeping Downtown Stuart clean, she said she would likely pick up dog waste outside of her store, but would not be interested in picking up dog waste anywhere else in Downtown Stuart. Patty thinks that dog owners should be more responsible for picking up after their dogs, and she has no interest in assuming that responsibility for them.

Interview 5: For my last interview, I was able to interview a mail carrier named Julie when I was visiting Gumbo Limbo. Julie, who has two rescues herself, felt that receptacles and dog waste bags would be a great idea for Downtown Stuart. She is all for keeping the downtown area clean and sanitary. However, Julie has no interest in picking up other owners’ dog waste. She emphasized that she runs on a tight schedule and has no time to stop and pick up after another dog owner’s pet waste. She likes the idea for herself if she is not working and is downtown with her dogs, but really not for any other scenario.

Who: The who here focused on those that frequent Downtown Stuart as consumers and people who own shops in Downtown Stuart. All of the people involved have the desire to keep Downtown Stuart beautiful and clean. Some fell outside the boundary because they simply didn’t feel it was fair to pick up after less responsible dog owners. That dis-interest outweighed their overall desire to keep Downtown Stuart clean and free from dog waste. They did not want to let irresponsible dog owners “off the hook” by picking up after their dogs. 

What: The need to keep Downtown Stuart free from dog waste and a convenient place to dispose of dog waste sometimes, depending on the type of person being interviewed, was outweighed by their disinterest in doing what they felt was a dog owner’s responsibility. Basically, they would do it if it was right outside their store, but that was the limit and would not pick up dog waste from a stranger’s dog if it wasn’t close to their shop. This really emphasized the “ownership” interest they had in their business, but that is where it ended as they really didn’t seem concerned with another owner’s company. They felt that if they would keep their storefront clean, then another store owner should be willing to pick up outside their own store.

Why: I think the underlying cause of the outsider’s need, while similar from those inside the boundary, the factor that makes the receptacle project more desirable is ownership interest. As a homeowner in a community, your property value is affected by how your neighbors keep and maintain their properties and how the common areas are maintained. This, when compared to Downtown Stuart, didn’t seem to translate with as much interest. There was interest, but it didn’t seem to be as much. The attitude of those interviewed in the Downtown Stuart group seemed to be more self-interested in their businesses, but not downtown as a whole. They would take care of their own property area, at best, but that is really where it ended. Their attitude was everyone should take care of their own property/storefronts in the event a dog owner was irresponsible in not picking up their dog’s waste. I think the project would have some success in Downtown Stuart. But, it may need additional support such as signs or notices posted around this area that would “remind” dog owners of the receptacle and bags and encourage them (kind of shame them) into cleaning up after their pets. This additional support certainly would not hurt the project.

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Who is in Dog-owners Individuals who live in neighborhoods and/or are concerned about the increased amount of dog waste in their communities	Who is not Non-dog owners Individuals who are not concerned about this issue and/or live in more urban areas like Downtown Stuart.
What the need is To keep their communities clean and sanitary.	What the need is not To emphasize accountability among dog owners who do not pick up their dogs' waste.
Why the need exists Dog waste has disease-causing bacteria that are harmful to humans and other dogs.	Alternative explanations People are "grossed out" by the thought of picking up dog waste. Lack of awareness of the negative environmental impacts of unclaimed dog waste. A dog owner thinking someone else will pick up their dog's waste for them.