Web portal launches dog poo-for-Wi-Fi program
In an effort to encourage dog parents to pick up after their canines in heavily-populated areas, the web portal Terra has launched a unique machine in Mexico City that exchanges free WiFi minutes in exchange for dog droppings. According to Popular Science, this small machine will calculate the weight of dog's business and translate that into WiFi minutes that can be used on the spot. While this will certainly make parents of Rottweilers and St. Bernards happy, dog parents with smaller breeds will still be able to get a few free minutes of WiFi that they can use to their advantage.
The obvious question that arises from the creation of this device is, what will happen if you put something other than dog waste in the receptacle? Terra has taken a matter-of-fact attitude toward this practice and says that the machine will do, "Nothing, but we figure that would just help keep the streets even cleaner anyway," reports Time Magazine. Terra has already set up the device in 10 public parks around Mexico City, and each one is fitted with a digitally-metered scale that will measure each deposit. Right now the initiative is still in a pilot stage, but it has become a huge hit around the streets of the Mexican capital.
In addition to helping keep parks around the city clean, the Terra devices are also providing a public service. In the same way that a dog parent will help out the community by removing dog waste, it will provide WiFi for everyone in the park. The company has placed small bone-shaped routers in many public places around the city that are activated when the device has received a donation. Ultimately, this is great motivation for those who wish to do their part to improve the environment.
Terra doesn't have any plans to release its system in the United States anytime soon, but the concept of a community-wide award for a good deed is a great idea for urban planners to consider. If you think that you could set a positive example for other dog parents in your area, perhaps it's time that you visited a New York animal shelter. Bideawee's website has a complete listing of dogs ready for adoption in your area.
