Dangerous Doggy Doo – Clean Up After Your Pet

You take your dog out for an evening stroll, enjoying the fresh air and your surroundings. Then, all of a sudden, you step in a pile of dog poop. Worse yet, your curious walking partner wants to investigate it.

I’ve had my fair share of frustration over feces. In the grassy area outside my apartment where I take my own dog, I’ve sometimes had to tiptoe around abandoned piles. That can be quite a task with a dog who loves smelling—and often rolling in—everything he encounters.

Picking up after our dogs is more than a courtesy. It helps keep shared spaces pleasant, reduces exposure to germs and parasites, and protects nearby waterways.

Why Picking Up Dog Poop Matters

Dog waste can contain germs and parasite eggs that affect other animals or people. A dog does not have to look sick to shed potentially harmful organisms, so it’s important to collect waste even when your dog seems healthy.

Some infections spread through contact with contaminated feces, soil, water or objects. The risks and routes of transmission vary, so it isn’t accurate to treat every disease or parasite as something a dog catches simply by sniffing another dog’s poop.

Prompt cleanup helps reduce contamination. Keep children away from waste, discourage your dog from eating it, and wash your hands with soap and water after handling dog waste or cleanup equipment. The CDC’s guidance on staying healthy around dogs explains these precautions.

Keep Preventive Care Separate From Cleanup

Picking up waste is important, but it does not replace veterinary care. Ask your veterinarian about appropriate fecal testing, parasite prevention and vaccinations for your dog’s age, health and exposure.

Vaccinations protect against specific diseases, such as canine parvovirus; they do not prevent intestinal parasites. Likewise, different parasites require different treatments, so a general dewormer is not a solution for every infection.

If your dog develops diarrhea, vomiting, unusual tiredness or other signs of illness, contact your veterinarian. If an infectious disease is suspected or diagnosed, ask for specific instructions on cleanup, disinfection and keeping other animals safe.

For puppies, work with your veterinarian on a plan that balances protection from infectious disease with safe, positive socialization.

Protect Waterways and Shared Spaces

Waste left on the ground does not necessarily stay where your dog deposited it. Rain and melting snow can carry it into storm drains, streams and other waterways, contributing bacteria and nutrients to the water.

As the EPA explains in its pet-waste guidance, collecting and properly disposing of waste helps reduce this pollution.

That applies to your own yard as well as parks, sidewalks and other shared areas. Leaving dog poop on the lawn is not a substitute for using an appropriate garden fertilizer.

How to Dispose of Dog Waste

For everyday cleanup, collect the waste in a bag, close it securely and place it in a designated pet-waste bin or an appropriate trash bin, following local disposal rules. Carry it with you until you reach a suitable bin rather than leaving a filled bag beside the path.

• Do not put dog waste or used waste bags in ordinary recycling bins.
• Do not assume a curbside organics or commercial composting program accepts pet waste. Check the program’s specific rules.
• Keep dog waste out of your home garden compost. The EPA lists pet waste among materials to avoid in home composting.
• Do not flush waste bags, even if they are marketed as flushable. If you are considering flushing unbagged dog waste, first check with your local wastewater provider about whether your system permits it.

A bag labeled “biodegradable” or “compostable” does not mean it can be left outdoors or placed in any compost bin. Follow your local waste service’s instructions.

Make Cleanup Part of Your Routine

Keep spare bags with your leash, in your coat pocket or near the door. A bag dispenser or small scoop can make the task easier, and keeping supplies handy reduces the chance of being caught unprepared.

If you run out of bags, ask a fellow walker or check for a nearby waste station. If you cannot collect the waste immediately, return promptly with supplies.

At home, regularly check the yard and collect waste before it builds up. If bending or handling cleanup equipment is difficult, a long-handled scoop or a pet-waste removal service may help.

After cleanup, wash your hands and keep reusable tools away from food-preparation areas and children’s play equipment.

Help Your Community Keep Things Clean

When we originally researched this article, Dr. Duffy Jones of Peachtree Hills Animal Hospital in Atlanta described a local effort to make cleanup more convenient. The hospital donated pet-waste stations to nearby neighborhoods following an initiative by Atlanta’s Buckhead Coalition.

“As a veterinarian, I really feel this is an important program to keep the public, and especially children, aware and safe from potential health hazards,” he said.

Accessible bags, clearly marked bins and regular maintenance can help people follow through. If your neighborhood needs better cleanup facilities, talk with the property manager, parks department or community association about practical options.

Picking up after our dogs is a small habit that makes a difference to everyone sharing the space.

What helps you remember your cleanup supplies before heading out for a walk?