After spending “the dog days” of summer testing the water quality at D.C. swimming pools, I have decidedly mixed feelings about this footage of neighborhood mascots taking the final dip of the season. Our tests found more than a third of the pools visited were incubating harmful bacteria just like giant Petri dishes.

There’s a definite gross-out factor in letting the doggies in for a dip. Though I’m not quite sure who should be more grossed out - the pooches or the people - particularly given the footage of a happy-go-lucky mutt named Taxi Dog lapping up the pool water. Decide for yourself: We’ve got photos and video courtesy of Wayan Vota and the Petworth Listserv. Thanks Wayan!

In a city like Washington with so many workaholics counting on fast food joints for sustenance, this story has maximum gross out potential: Despite those pervasive bathroom signs directing employees to wash up after using the loo, more than half of all fast-food industry workers don’t bother, according to a new study by the Federal Drug Administration.

Beyond the obvious and very icky implications, the feds are wringing their hands because the lack of hand washing can lead to the spread of food-borne diseases such as hepatitis A and E. coli.