Poop Facts You Should Be Aware Of

 

The 78 million dogs living in the United States create 10 million tons of feces annually, polluting waterways and posing a threat to public health, according to a pet waste removal service asking Americans to pledge to scoop the poop this Earth Day.

 

Dog Waste Threatens Public Health

 

“Dog waste is an environmental pollutant. In 1991, it was placed in the same health category as oil and toxic chemicals by the Environmental Protection Agency,” explains Virginia-based pet waste removal company Doody Calls in a press release. “The longer dog waste stays on the ground, the greater a contamination becomes. Bacteria, worms and other parasites thrive in waste until it’s washed away into the water supply.”

 

USAToday reports that 40% of dog owners do not pick up their dog’s waste at all and all that waste pollutes waterways. Because scientists are able to track the origin of the fecal bacteria to the species that excreted it, we even know how much. One study showed as much as 90% of the fecal coliform in urban stormwater was of non-human origin, mostly dog.

 

In just a couple of days, 100 dogs can deposit enough bacteria to temporarily close a bay, and all watershed areas within 20 miles of it, to swimming and fishing. Officials in Seattle consider waste from the city’s million dogs to be a major pollution source of Puget Sound. Dogs have also been shown to be a major source of water contamination in Clearwater, FL; Arlington, VA; and Boise, ID.

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Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/u-s-waters-polluted-by-10-million-tons-of-dog-poop.html#ixzz3aeS4XNHh (source:http://www.care2.com/causes/u-s-waters-polluted-by-10-million-tons-of-dog-poop.html)

 

THE TRUTH ABOUT DOG POOP

Every dog poops. And, cleaning up after our canines is a hugely important responsibility. It might be a crappy job, but there are plenty of good reasons to do it.

-In the US alone, dogs collectively deposit about 30,000 tons of poop every day.

-Unlike cow poop, dog poop does not make good fertilizer. In fact, it’s completely toxic to lawns.

-Dog poop can carry a bunch of nasty bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella, Giardia, and Parvovirus

-The EPA classifies dog waste as non-point source pollution, along with herbicides and insecticides, oil, grease, and toxic chemicals.

-Because dog poo can do so much damage, many cities have adopted excrement ordinances. In Chicago, fines range between $50 and $500 for failing to pick up the poo.

Need we say more? Yes, keep going? Ok, but it gets worse…

HUMAN THREAT

Did you know that uncollected dog poop regularly pollutes air and water sources? A University of Colorado study found that the air in Detroit and Cleveland contains high amounts of bacteria from dog feces. This poses a huge threat for urban populations, because dog poop bacteria can cause and contribute to human illnesses such as asthma and seasonal allergies. That’s right, leaving your pup’s poop behind could actually make someone sick.

And that’s not all. Several counties across the country have reported high amounts of dog poop bacteria counts in their water sources. It turns out that un-scooped dog feces can easily wash into creeks and rivers from lawns and parks. Just imagine all that Salmonella, E.Coli, and Giardia swimming around in your water.

Fortunately, most of these threats can be easily avoided by picking up after your pup. (source: http://dogblog.kyjen.com/dog-poop-the-smelly-facts/)