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One local dog will be crowned Philly Water's Spokesdog

Your dog’s poop is contaminating the water supply. That’s why the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is taking action. They’ll be crowning the Philly Water’s Best Friend Spokesdog on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Juniata Fest.

Your dog's poop is contaminating the water supply.

That's why the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is taking action. They'll be crowning Philly Water's Best Friend Spokesdog on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Juniata Fest. The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is an environmental organization whose purpose is, "to lead science-based and collaborative efforts to improve the tidal Delaware River and Bay, which spans Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania."

Juniata Fest features a petting zoo with over 20 animals and activities for the entire family, but the Spokesdog Contest is a particularly special part of the event. After an online voting process, a few lucky, local pups were picked to compete live at the Juniata Boys and Girls Club (1001 E Cayuga St.) at 12:30 p.m. During the contest, Charles Crown the puggle, Princess Lopez the miniature poodle, Jacob the Siberian husky, Gracie the corgi and more local dogs will be judged on personality, canine smile and charm. The pup that wins gets to be the Philly Water's spokesdog and the owner gets $250 worth of prizes for their pooch, too.

The purpose of the campaign is to bring awareness to the dangers of dog doo. Dog waste acts as a fertilizer, enabling it to cause excessive algae blooms in the water thereby robbing the water of necessary oxygen. Waste also carries disease-causing bacteria.

"We had so much fun participating in the spokesdog competition," said Anna Fineberg, owner of last year's spokesdog winner, Josie the beagle.

This year's Philly Water's Best Friend Spokesdog will be responsible for encouraging dog owners to pick up after their pets.