026 Save The Trees!

Save the Trees!

Dogs and trees, two of our favorite things in the City. But they aren’t great for each other.

Dog pee can kill a tree; not your dog, of course, but the thousands of friends your dog has, all adding salt, ammonia and an excess of nitrogen can be fatal. But as a dog owner, anything that hastens the peeing is good, especially in the winter, the rain, the heat and when we are in a hurry (i.e. all times). And once a single dog has watered a tree it is nearly impossible to get every other dog to pass it by.

Fences, a common attempt at a solution, are completely ineffective (amazingly pee can pass through tiny iron fences!). And those large cast iron grates flush with the sidewalk are like an invitation to douse the tree roots. A fix is not that complicated.

Trees deserve a raised bed with a nice tall wall, and the pee needs to be directed to the street, eventually to the storm drains. It won’t solve the smell, or shame owners into picking up the other dog waste problem, but it will save our trees.