by Geraldine Cuypers, KFB Board Member
“Roses are red
Violets are blue
Love thy neighbor
And pick up your dog’s poo”
You may think that stepping in dog poop is bad enough, but your ruined shoe is not the only reason to be wary of the presence of dog waste along the sidewalk or in your community park.
Part of being a responsible dog owner is picking up your dog’s waste. This idea is especially prevalent in urbanized areas, where the likelihood of stepping in dog poop is greatly increased. You might give yourself a pat on the back when you’ve fulfilled the social responsibility of scooping Fido’s poop, but go ahead and give yourself two pats because you’ve also fulfilled your environmental responsibility by completing that simple action. Scientists have discovered that dog waste is more than just an inconvenience in the urban setting; it is also a human health hazard and an environmental pollutant.
Leaving Fido’s “droppings” on the ground is very similar to leaving raw sewage on the ground and is a public health concern. Bacteria, parasites, and pathogens can be found in dog waste and can be transmitted to people, pets, and wildlife. Examples of these harmful microscopic organisms are roundworms, Giardia, E.coli, Salmonella, Parvovirus, and whipworms. Some of these can persist in the ground for months—even years if left untouched. For example, roundworm eggs can survive on the lawn for years without a host, while Giardia, a parasite, can live in the environment for weeks to months. Contact with these microscopic organisms can lead to stomach and intestinal infections, and it turns out that children are more at risk of contracting these infections than adults are.
According to the EPA, there is nearly twice the amount of fecal coliform (intestinal bacteria) in one gram of dog feces as there is in one gram of human feces. Once we think about the number of dogs we have concentrated in our area and how much bacteria they deposit on the ground, we can start to see how dog waste left on the ground can be a significant problem when it comes to our health, the environment, and the bottom of our shoes.
“But what about all the rabbits, possums, raccoons, etc. that poop out there?”, you may ask. Yes, there is wildlife among us that has always been here. A big difference is that they aren’t concentrated the way we’ve concentrated our pets. Another big difference is the sheer amount of fecal coliform bacteria in dog waste. One gram of dog poop contains a whopping average of 23,000,000 fecal coliforms compared to an average of 20 fecal coliforms per gram of wild rabbit feces and an average 330,000 fecal coliforms per gram of mouse feces. Furthermore, wildlife generally eats what nature provides in their environment and return those nutrients back into the environment from which they came. In contrast, we typically feed our pets nutrient-dense pet food from commercial establishments. Dog waste that has not been picked up then contributes to an imbalance of nutrients (i.e. nitrogen and phosphorus) in the ecosystem, which can encourage the emergence of harmful algal blooms in our waterways or make an attractive environment for the establishment of invasive plant species, which displace native plants.
Pet waste left on the ground can be carried by rain or irrigation water into our local creeks and rivers, contributing to water pollution. When bacteria levels in our waterways are high, these waterways are considered too dangerous to swim or wade in as it is possible for people to be exposed to pathogens through abrasions, open wounds, or mucous membranes. On the coast, the consequences are also felt on an economic level, where bans on shellfish harvesting are implemented due to high bacteria levels. Nutrients from dog feces can also encourage an excess of growth of aquatic plants and algae. Ponds in our parts of South Carolina typically have more than enough nutrients to support plant and algae growth, and an overabundance of nutrients will lead to an overabundance of plants and algae. As these plants die and decompose, the oxygen in the water is depleted. This is not a problem when there is a proper balance of plants and algae in the pond, but when this occurs on a large scale, this depletion of oxygen can lead to fish kills and decrease the quality of life for other aquatic organisms.
The effects might not be noticeable when one pet owner leaves his/her dog’s poo on the grass, but when many pet owners neglect to pick up their dogs’ waste, the effects are proliferated. Of all the pollutants in our waterways, the reduction of bacteria and nutrients from dog waste is among the simplest to achieve; all that is required is that dog owners do their “doody” and pick up after their dogs. So anytime you think about how unpleasant it is to pick up your dog’s poop, think how unpleasant it would be to fish or swim in it.
“Doo” your part:
- ALWAYS carry a bag to pick up poop. In fact, bring multiple. Give those bags from the grocery store another use!
- Pick up the poop and tie the bag closed.
- Throw the bag in the garbage. Do NOT leave the tied bag on the ground—this defeats the purpose!!
- For your family’s well being, pick up the poop in your yard on a regular basis (at least before heavy rain).