DOGS IN THE COVE

For the visitor to Refuge Cove, my summer home, all that is evident as one floats into the cove is a smattering of houses built along the shoreline, a series of docks (with a fueling station) and a ramp leading up to some local businesses ( a well stocked general store, a coffee shop, a used book shed, a new "mystery" structure). What one doesn't see or get to experience are the lovely forest trails, the rustic residences, the community embellishments that the visitor can only imagine as they view the surrounding area form their boats. Being a land and housing cooperative, our property is private, so the only territory open to the visiting boater for exploration are the boardwalks and a small trail in the commercial area. This trail consists of about 50 feet of pathway and is aptly named the "PET PATH".

It seems as though dogs and boaters go hand in hand these days. Both power and sail boaters enjoy their summer holidays with their beloved pet or pets, well-dressed in doggy life jackets. I even saw a good sized pooch in a kayak last week. Now that's love!

With dogs comes dog poop, and being experienced in traveling with our dog, I know first hand that this can be a problem. We were lucky: a small dog that trained easily to "go" on a fake grass doormat. As we tossed her tiny pieces overboard, we'd see other boaters rowing their dogs to shore for relief.

So when dog-owning boaters come to Refuge Cove for fuel, groceries, or some goodies from the bake shop, they also make the pet path a popular destination. As you can imagine, this now was a major problem for us. We were finding little plastic bags everywhere, and ferns on the pet path were well fertilized. Locals would groan at the sight of another dog!

Solution??? Now we have the "dog waste compost station" which you can see posted at the entrance to the path. A wire cage, a shovel, and a bucket of sawdust makes up this sysytem which boaters have been terrific at embracing. (There are those stubborn ones who seem to love their baggies.)

So bring your dogs to our fine little berg! We welcome them and we welcome you! Just be a responsible pet owner and use our canine composting system to keep our community happy and clean.