MILFORD, Del. - Most dogs are trained to sit, fetch, or roll over but rescue dog Scooby was taught to help sniff out trash around downtown Milford.
Scooby's owner, Claus Hagelman, taught Scooby to locate trash and alert him of it to pick it up.
"Once we moved into a city and we started doing the walks, it became a whole mission for him like it was his job. He waits every morning by the door like 'I've got to get out there and get all that trash! Picking up on it, that's my job!'" said Hagelman.
Claus and Scooby say that a lot of the items they find on their daily walks include cans, styrofoam, and even diapers.
Milford Parks and Recreation said littering is a constant problem, but Scooby is lending a helping paw to the mess and has even been recognized by the department for the effort.
"We do a riverwalk cleanup where we collect. This year we collected over 1,500 pounds of trash. Our motto here with the city is 'Clean, safe, and attractive,' and Scooby embraces that. He embodies that," said RJ Skinner, parks superintendent.
Tammie Comfort sees Scooby on his walks every Saturday when he comes by the Well Coffeehouse for biscuits. Comfort said if a dog can pick up after himself and others, so can humans.
"I think it's wonderful! Maybe he can teach other people to pick up their trash instead of throwing it in the water or throwing it on the ground because there's trash cans everywhere in Milford..."
Claus's ultimate goal is for people to step up so that he'd have reason to teach Scooby some new tricks. "I would love to be able to go on this walk and there not be any trash and have to find something new for him to be able to do."
If you want to join Scooby on his walks to help pick up litter in the morning, they go every morning at 8 a.m.Â