6factsdogwaste

Did you know?

  • 72.8 million dogs currently live in the United States
  • 30,000 tons of waste is collectively produced every day
  • That’s 10 million tons of dog waste produced every year

That’s a lot of dog poop, but what exactly is it doing to our environment?

Read the article or jump to printouts below


Here are the 6 Unsettling Facts about Dog Waste

1-6unsettlingfactsdogwaste1. Dog waste is NOT fertilizer for your lawn.
In its raw form, it can actually be toxic to your soil. Dog waste needs to first be safely composted in an enclosed system before being considered a beneficial aid to the environment.


2-6unsettlingfactsdogwaste2. Just one gram of dog waste can contain as many as 23 million fecal coliform bacteria.
Waste can seep into groundwater and spread salmonella and giardia. This poses a hazard to your pets, your family, and your landscape.


3-6unsettlingfactsdogwaste3. Your lawn mower doesn’t help, in fact can make it worse.
Mowers will actually chop up the waste into smaller pieces and spread it further throughout your yard where you, your children, and your pets continue to step in it and then bring it into your home.


4-6unsettlingfactsdogwaste4. Dog fecal matter is a major contributor to stormwater pollution.
One out of three households have at least one dog, and all that dog poop left out can be blown into storm drains, lakes, and streams. When in water, the liquefied waste consumes the oxygen and releases ammonia, which contaminates our resources as well as harms the fish that reside there.


5-6unsettlingfactsdogwaste5. If you don’t pick up, it piles up…fast.
The average dog discards approximately three quarters of a pound of waste per day, which adds up to 275 pounds per year. Your yard might be more polluted than you think.


6-6unsettlingfactsdogwaste6. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirms that hookworms, ringworms, tapeworms and Salmonella can be spread by contact with infected dog waste.
It can take over one year for dog waste to decay, but even when it has visibly disappeared, the parasite eggs it contained can linger on for years in your soil – leaving your family and your pets vulnerable to serious infection.


What you can do

Look into what method your county prefers, but in most cases – bag it and trash it.

Difficult to keep up with the mess? Hire a local pet waste removal company to clean your yard on a routine basis.


Help spread the word

The most responsible thing pet owners can do for their family, community, and environment is to make sure their pets are picked up after.

Share this information with friends, family, and neighbors. Let them know the importance of scooping their dog’s poop, and that it’s more than just a smelly eyesore.

“6 Unsettling Facts about Dog Waste” – Free Printouts

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Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency

The Six Unsettling Facts about Dog Waste
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