Pet Waste Facts
The Problem with Pet Waste…
Pet waste is a health risk to pets and people. Pet waste is full of bacteria that can make people sick. If it’s washed into the storm drain and ends up in our rivers, lakes, and streams, the bacteria ends up in our fish and aquatic life. Unless people take care of it, the waste enters our water with no treatment. In addition to transferring harmful pathogens to our water, pet waste also leads to increased biological oxygen demand, thus reducing the oxygen content of the water and making it difficult for aquatic life to survive.
What Can You Do?
- Bring It! Carry a scooper bag when you walk your dog.
- Scoop It! Use the baggie like a glove, scoop the poop, invert and seal the bag.
- Toss It! It belongs in the trash.
- Place a Sign! Put a “Scoop the Poop” sign in your yard to encourage your neighbors to scoop it up too!
- DO NOT! Leave pet waste near a curb. It’s improper management, and it can get washed into local waterways through the storm drain.
Did You Know…
There are an estimated 78 million owned dogs in the United States. That’s 21 billion pounds of poop per year! When it rains, the potential exists for thousands of pounds of waste to wash down our storm drains and into our creeks and lakes – untreated! That means harmful bacteria associated with pet waste is going into our water.