Steven Averett, Content Director, Waste Group

March 1, 2009

1 Min Read
Putting the Can In Canine

Sure, your dog can fetch. She may even retrieve the paper or your slippers. But what's she done for the environment lately? In the case of Dixie, a nine-year-old golden retriever in Pinellas County, Fla., plenty.

As a puppy, Dixie developed the habit of nabbing aluminum cans out of the trash and off the street and bringing them to her owner, John Weber. Weber says he did not teach her this trick and that she just began doing it on her own. Now Dixie collects as many as 75 cans per week from the office where Weber works and painstakingly deposits them, one by one, in a bucket.

Dixie's talent for recycling has made her somewhat of a mascot at Anclote Metal Recycling in Tarpon Springs, Fla., where Weber drops off his recyclables each week. Eric Hambusch, the facility's owner, was so impressed to learn that the dog had collected 40 pounds of cans that he subsequently used a picture of her as his screensaver. Weber says Dixie gets a bit ahead of herself sometimes, snatching half-full cans from people that weren't quite finished. She's even trained her daughter to retrieve cans.

Drivers of Coca-Cola and Budweiser delivery trucks would be well advised to give Dixie's house a wide berth.
SOURCE: The Tampa Tribune

About the Author(s)

Steven Averett

Content Director, Waste Group, Waste360

Steven Averett joined the Waste Age staff in February 2006. Since then he has helped the magazine expand its coverage and garner a range of awards from FOLIO, the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) and the Magazine Association of the Southeast (MAGS). He recently won a Gold Award from ASBPE for humor writing.

Before joining Waste Age, Steven spent three years as the staff writer for Industrial Engineer magazine, where he won a gold GAMMA Award from MAGS for Best Feature. He has written and edited material covering a wide range of topics, including video games, film, manufacturing, and aeronautics.

Steven is a graduate of the University of Georgia, where he earned a BA in English.

Stay in the Know - Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Join a network of more than 90,000 waste and recycling industry professionals. Get the latest news and insights straight to your inbox. Free.

You May Also Like