It is very important that we, as responsible pet owners, pick up after our pet whether in the yard or on a walk.

The average dog discards approximately three quarters of a pound of waste per day, adding up to a staggering 275 pounds per year.

The common misconception
What is most commonly misconceived is the idea that dog waste can be used as a natural fertilizer in its raw state and therefore can be left on the soil to slowly break down. But in reality – dog waste, without being properly composted, can harm your soil, kill your grass, weaken your plants, and potentially infect both humans and pets.

Dog waste can contain a great amount of bacteria
Typically, dog waste contains a great deal of bacteria even if coming from a healthy dog. Anything from ringworm, roundworm, salmonella and giardia are commonly found in dog feces.

One gram of dog waste can contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria.

What about composting?
Composting is a natural process that breaks down organic waste to then be used as a nutritious source for plants, however this can only be done at a commercial level due to a certain volume of waste that is needed to reach high temperatures to kill of pathogens.

How to properly dispose of pet waste
Look into the services that your county has to offer. Does your city offer compost services for dog waste specifically?

Although not ideal, will your sewage plant allow you to flush your dog’s waste down the toilet? Most plants will not take it especially if they already have large amounts of human waste coming in and they do not want to risk damage or overuse for their machines.

Of course the most common way, although not ideal, is to dispose of pet waste is to bag it and trash it.

What type of bags should I use?
If you are still forced to throw the waste into the trash, please purchase compostable dog waste bags. It is a more eco-friendly product since it doesn’t use fossil fuels to be produced, and even though it will still go to the landfill if there are no pet waste composting services in your area, your money is supporting the compost movement.

Pet Poo Skiddoo offers services for weekly and biweekly scoops and bin pickups to ensure that the waste is composted and recycled into a safe and effective fertilizer that will help the environment, not hurt it.