High on Dogipot

Pauline Bell

Thursday, Feb. 29, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Here's the scoop... or the poop ... or the scoop on poop.

American retailers sell nearly 3 billion pounds of dog food a year. Once consumed and digested by about 52 million hungry hounds, it has the potential of creating more than 20 tons of doggie dung a day.

On the average, each dog leaves about 14 ounces of dog dirt in two daily sessions. Distributed in 100 million small heaps all over the country, this leaves a big mess and an even BIGGER stink.

One solution comes in the form of Dogipot, a sanitary disposal system for doggie doo-doo. Dogipot is a grass-green container mounted on a post. It dispenses plastic bags in which to package the droppings and contains a receptacle for their disposal.

Now, don't pooh-pooh this concept.

Few dog owners are willing to pick up after their pets mainly because it is an inconvenience, said Gustav Keyl, a Henderson resident who is the West Coast distributor for the Florida-made Dogipot.

"People don't want to walk a mile with their dog droppings. Dogipot makes it convenient by providing both the tool and a drop-off location for the dog dirt," said Keyl.

Possible locations for the product include campgrounds, parks and playgrounds, downtown areas, residential subdivisions, mobile home parks, highway rest stops, apartment and condominium developments and outside veterinarians' offices.

The city of Henderson recently tested five of the Dogipots and has subsequently ordered 20 more.

Two were installed in Foxridge Park, two in Arroyo Grande Park and one near the Henderson Convention Center downtown.

Henderson actually is using both the Dogipot and a similar product called the Pooper Scooper.

"Both products have been received quite well," said Steve Rongyocsik, superintendent of parks and facilities. "We're trying to ensure that our park rules and regulations are adhered to by exposing the public to various type products."

He wouldn't endorse one product over the other, saying the Dogipot is more economical when it comes to replacing the bags while the Pooper Scooper may be a bit easier to use when it comes to understanding directions.

"I think they are a great idea," said Green Valley resident Lynn Mayes, who lives near Foxridge Park and regularly uses the Dogipot to clean up after her two canines. "I think it certainly sends the right message ... it's a creative angle to get people to pick up."

Keyl said he usually recommends purchasing more than one receptacle per location because multiple units encourage usage. For example, the best way to use the product is to install it at various entrance-exits to a park.

This allows the owner to pick up a plastic bag at one entrance and continue walking the dog. The dog's intestine is activated by the exercise and he will, well you know ... The owner then uses the plastic bag to pick up the poop.

The owner doesn't want to go back to the same receptacle to deposit the droppings. At the same time, the owner doesn't want to carry the dung on the remainder of the walk. So he will deposit the bag in another receptacle on his way out of the park, thus unburdening both himself and the dog to enjoy the rest of the walk, Keyl explained.

Dogipot was modeled after Robidog, a similar product introduced in Switzerland in 1983. The inventor patented the plastic bags, but not the container itself, Keyl said.

Three years ago, Keyl and his friend, Juerg Petersen of Miami, decided to borrow the concept, call it Dogipot and distribute it in the United States. Since December 1994, they have sold between 500 and 600 of the units.

Each unit costs $395, but the buyer gets a 5 percent discount for buying 10 or more and a 20 percent discount for buying 20 or more. A roll of 250 bags costs $7, but that price will soon be lowered to $6, Keyl said.