Handmade posters affixed to lampposts alerting people to a found dog or cat are a fixture of city life, but Toronto pet supplies store Timmie is using the same tactic to find a new home for something far less cuddly and cute: dog waste.
Working with BLKW (black and white), the Toronto agency launched last year by former Zulu Alpha Kilo ECD Wain Choi, the “Found Poop” campaign is using tongue-in-cheek posters screaming the word “FOUND” above a photo of dog poop.
The poster provides irreverent information about the waste, such as its age (about one week), it’s colour (chestnut), where it was found, and its temperament (it loves kids and shoes).
Under each of the Timmie-branded tear-off tabs at the bottom of the poster is a bag for dog waste—a way for Timmie to be a good neighbour, while also reminding pet-owners that the store is nearby should they need to buy more bags to clean up after their dogs.
Timmie has three stores in Toronto, and describes itself as a community-focused pet supplies retailer. Co-founder and owner Paul Ryu said that he wanted to provide a solution to the dog waste problem without any finger-wagging.
Choi said that it was important to connect with dog owners without being accusatory. “We wanted to have some empathy,” he said. “It’s easy to run out of dog poop bags or forget them. We’ve all been there.”
BLKW put up the ads on in the vicinity of Timmie’s three Toronto stores, as well as on social media. Choi said that people also requested posters to put up in neighbourhoods such as Leslieville, King West and Queen West.
“Since we’re in the spirit of helping out, maybe other dog owners can help out too if nobody comes forward to claim this found poop,” said Timmie co-founder and owner Paul Ryu. “Fingers and paws cross that we can keep Toronto looking beautiful and have no poop left behind.”
People not picking up after their dog has become a growing problem across Toronto, leading the city to try to curb the problem with the launch of bins dedicated solely to doggie detritus.
