Pet Waste Stations. Do residents use them?

We've had an increasing number of residents requesting we put out the pet waste stations around our property. However, we've noticed that some of our residents don't take bags outside, and some horribly allow their dogs to poop in the hallways and leave it.
Are they worth the cost and upkeep?

We've had success with the sations at our communities. The more you have, the more they get used.

It sounds like people don't even get thier pets out the door, however, and that's a completely different issue. :unsure: Sorry about that. I'd charge a clean-up fee for those violators.

I LOVE a property with well maintained pet waste stations! The key is to have your porters/groundskeepers refill the bags every day because once they run out, their magic is lost on your residents

The place I currently live does a great job of being pet sensitive as well as curb appeal sensitive, and I've gotta say that their pet stations are a big part of this.

Also, Mark's right. Your folks need to be picking up after their pets. Their are city laws in most places about that regarding fines, etc. for violations. Check them out.

Though fines are a good deterrent, I found that positive reinforcement worked best when I was on site. I got my local PetSmart to donate toys, chew bones, etc. and then when I observed a resident being responsible, I would send them a thank you card for taking that extra step to make our community a much more beautiful place, and a toy/bone for their dog. That got HUGE responses! Even if you can't get the stuff donated, you can buy dog chews for pretty cheap in bulk.

Good luck!

These can be such a great asset on site! Residents definitely use them. Additionally, with the environment being such a hot topic these days, encourage people to use their own bags too rather than just throwing empty grocery bags away.

We have a community in Saint Louis that consists of 29 buildings and is spread over 3 city blocks and we use waste stations throughout.

I do think that real success comes over time. Once they are installed and people become accustom to using them then the momentum will build. It almost becomes self policing in the sense that users will call out abusers.

To answer your question - are they worth the investment - I say yes.

It is not just the dogs that need trained to use the pet stations, so do the residents. Positive reinforcement works for both!

Very good point Gerry. I think it is all about communication.

You know - the other thing to think about here is the idea of a dog park. If you create an area where people take their pets to play and you provide the pet station for clean up, the likelihood of use rises dramatically.

Definitely worth it. We use pet stations and they are great. We also can fine for not picking up the waste.

I made use of pet waste stations when I lived in an apartment. Loved them.