Dog Walker and Her Two Labs Who Pick Up Trash During Their Daily Walk are an Inspiration

In Scotland, a dog walker is inspiring others to pick up trash. Marion Montgomery and her two labradors Paddy and Ted are working to pickup litter in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The dogs love to pick up trash and Montgomery is following their lead.

Montgomery said her previous dog, Murphy, would pick up plastic bottles. Montgomery then began putting them into the recycling. Murphy’s enthusiasm for plastic inspired her to create a Facebook group. The group, Paws on Plastic, has 14,000 members. People from Australia to Canada have been inspired by her story.

The private Facebook group’s description says, “Members of this group pledge to pick up 2 pieces of litter while out walking our beloved hounds. Simply pick items up using a spare poo bag and take it home to empty, into your recycling bin if possible, saving the bag to use again. Post a lovely photo of your dog on this page to celebrate your efforts & spread the word! Remember you are responsible for keeping yourself & any accompanying companions safe. All pieces you pick up are helping to reduce the amount of plastic ending up in the sea. We are a not for profit organisation.”

Montgomery told Metro of the initiative, “Murphy was my inspiration because he always picked up plastic bottles, so I would go to the park and come back with one. So many dogs do that, it’s in their nature. It’s something I’ve always done and you can’t really throw it back to the ground if your dog has been playing with it. I found we were walking past the same litter every day. You are scanning to make sure your dog isn’t going to pick up anything that would hurt them and then you think there are other animals out there that could be harmed. It’s fantastic doing beach cleans but the tide comes back in and more litter is washed ashore, whereas dog owners are out every day, a few times a day.If, as part of their everyday routine, you just pop a few bits in your poo bags and take it home for recycling, it makes a huge difference.”

She estimates that members of the group have picked close to 20 million pieces of trash in a year. Keep up the great work!

Read more One Green Planet news about trash cleanup including a woman cleaning up trash from a Nova Scotia beach. 

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