Community Corner

Doggy Doo Doo Bag Dispenser Installed on Seacoast Drive

Ocean Blue Foundation, who support a variety of local issues and efforts, have installed another self-made dispenser to hand out bags to clean up and dispose of dog waste.

Ocean Blue Foundation, who provide plastic bags and dispensers for people to properly dispose of dog waste, installed a new dispenser at the end of Seacoast Drive Friday.

The organization was started 13 years ago and was founded by Gene and Chris Hilger. 

"We live down in Seaside Point and there's a path there that goes out to the Tijuana River mouth," Gene said. "It was filthy, filthy with dog feces and my wife said they should have a dog dispensary."

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"And if you go out there now I challenge you to find any dog poop," he said. "Once we saw the difference it made there we figured we might as well go citywide," he said.

The couple's initial involvement in doggie bags acted as a catalyst for them being more involved in the city-at-large with issues like creating a dog park or community garden and a proposed increase of helicopter activity at Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach.

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"If everyone has their own little cause and does their own thing to help the community it helps," he said.

In total, the Hilgers have installed 13 dispensers around Imperial Beach, or one a year.

Dispensers are also installed next to and in and .

Click here for a full list of dispensaries

It would be nice if everyone picked up after themselves, Gene said "we don't have to convince everyone, we just have to convince half the people" to see a difference.

Building dispensers and supplying them with plastic bags can cost thousands of dollars a year, he said.

At times they have received grants from EDCO Disposal, San Diego County and the city of Imperial Beach but Ocean Blue Foundation is looking for donations from IB residents and businesses to help keep Imperial Beach clean.

To donate, visit the Ocean Blue Foundation website. Ocean Blue is a nonprofit 501(c)(3).


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