While supervising Mom doing the laundry, I couldn’t help but notice that every item of clothing with a pocket held poop bags.  Obviously I did a really good job training Mom and Dad to be prepared.  I wonder though if they appreciate the many times when having poop bags in their pockets came in handy for situations involving more than…well poop.  It is amazing the many creative uses for a poop bag when you think outside the bag!  The following is my top 5 list for non-poop uses for poop bags:

5. Berry Picking: Recently Dad was seriously slowing down our hike at the Kennebunk Plains by stopping every few feet to pick a handful of wild blueberries to eat.  That is until Mom took out a handy bag and filled it with those delectable treats to enjoy after our walk on the car ride home.

4. Evidence Bag: Also while on a hike, Asa decided to partake in the foraging for wild food craze, and ate a mushroom.  Was it poisonous?  Out came a bag so Dad could pick a similar mushroom to show the vet if Asa became sick.  Luckily Asa was fine, and while Dad was picking Mom was Googling to confirm it wasn’t poisonous for dogs. But still good they kept a sample just in case.

3. Neighborhood Cleanup: As part of our neighborhood patrol we sometimes use poop bags to pick up the trash that litters our road.  It never ceases to amaze me what humans will throw out their car windows.  Seriously people, the dump is an awesome place – use it!  Although I’m always willing to lend my bags for a good cause, they have a more important destiny than for garbage!

2. Reusable Bag: This summer we happened to be walking past the Farmers’ Market, when Mom was lured in by the bright red tomatoes.  Ok, truth be told Dad’s garden didn’t do so well this year.  But Mom didn’t have a reusable grocery bag with her for this impromptu trip.  So what does she do?  Yep, you guessed it.  She pulled out a poop bag from her pocket.  Detecting the glare from the vendor, she felt the need to explain to the farmer that the plastic bag was indeed reusable and after the tomatoes safely made it home the bag would be reused for it’s original intention.  Not sure if the farmer got Mom’s sense of humor based on the scowl she gave her, but if that farmer is reading this now I can assure her the bag was reused!

1. Ball Protector: And my all time favorite alternative use for a poop bag…drum roll…to hold my slobber/salt water/sand covered tennis ball!  I work very hard to season my tennis ball to taste just the way I like it, and find it very discouraging when Dad puts it in his pocket only to have it covered in bits of pocket lint.  No dog wants a slobber/salt water/sand covered tennis ball with pocket lint on it!  But thanks to having extra bags handy it is no longer a problem.  Not to mention Dad doesn’t get a soggy pocket walking back to the car after a morning of playing fetch on the beach.

So there you have it folks, poop bags are not just for poop anymore!  It never ceases to amaze me how many times Mom and Dad have absent-mindedly reached for a poop bag to the rescue.  In fact I suggest carrying a few in all your pockets…even if you don’t have a dog!  I’d also like to remind pet owners that despite these great alternative uses, please always keep the intended use in mind and pick up that poop!  Now if you please excuse me, if Mom ever wants to refill her pockets with bags, I need to wrestle away the extra bags from Asa.