You can enjoy countless benefits as a pet owner but keep in mind that this role requires a lot of responsibility. When you become a pet owner, you’re expected to clean up after your pet, regardless of if you’re in residential properties or public communities and parks.
This might not come as a surprise to many, but pet owners are responsible for picking up the feces of their beloved furry friend. Depending on the state you’re in, leaving your dog’s poop anywhere can result in on-the-spot or local penalties.
Aside from the legal repercussions, you should clean your dog’s poop because of these reasons:
1. Your Dog’s Poop Is a Pollutant
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, your dog’s poop contains nutrients and pathogens that can harm local waters. When your dog’s poop ends up in bodies of water, it decomposes and releases nutrients that cause excessive growth of algae and weeds. As a result, the water becomes green, murky, smelly, and unusable for fishing, boating, or swimming.
2. Your Health Is at Risk
Aside from adversely affecting bodies of water, the pathogens present in your dog’s poop can also take a toll on your health. Your dog’s poop carries bacteria and parasites that can make you sick and cause intestinal diseases like beaver fever or cryptosporidiosis.
3. It Can Make Your Other Pets Sick
Once your pets get sick, contagions are usually passed through their feces and then into your yard. When the waste is not picked up as soon as possible, other pets on your property will be at high risk of getting sick over and over again. This situation is very stressful and expensive, especially if you have several pets at home.
4. Dog Poop Just Doesn’t Disappear
The bacteria, worms, and parasites found in your dog’s poop don’t disappear after a few days or months. In fact, these microorganisms will continue to thrive in unattended waste, break down into the soil, and wash themselves into the water supply.
For example, roundworm is a common parasite found in dog poop known to be infectious in the soil and water for years.
5. Rodents Love Dog Poop
Rats and other rodents love your dog’s poop because it’s a food source for them. This means that leaving dog poop all around your property will attract rodents and eventually encourage them to feast on your home.
Aside from the damage they can cause to your property, rodents can also pose serious health risks to humans because they carry diseases like leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), and Salmonella.
6. Dog Waste Is Not a Fertilizer
Because your dog’s diet is usually made up of animal products, their waste isn’t suitable to be used as fertilizer. On the contrary, leaving your dog’s poop on the ground or in one area of your backyard will adversely affect the soil quality.
Instead of enriching the soil and giving more nutrients to your plants, using dog waste as a fertilizer will only create an acidic environment for your plants. When your soil becomes acidic, nutrients become less available to your plants.
7. Mowing Isn’t the Solution
Although mowing your dog’s poop might make the problem “disappear,” it’s not the best solution available. Mowing your dog’s poop will only damage your lawnmower and the quality of your soil yet still allow microorganisms to thrive and multiply on the ground.
8. Children Will Get Sick
Children naturally love to play on the ground, but don’t often wash their hands. When they come into contact with the waste left on the ground, they’re at risk of getting an infectious diarrhoeal illness. This illness can be very severe among young children.
9. It Creates a Mess
Your lawn or backyard will lose its appeal once it’s covered with dog poop all over. Sure, it can still catch the attention of passersby, but usually, it’s for the wrong reasons.
10. It’s an Easy Task
The more frequently you pick up your dog’s poop, the easier it’ll be for you to remain healthy and stay on top of various pet waste problems. You won’t have any issues keeping your surroundings clean when picking up your dog’s poop becomes innate to you!
Partner With the Best Pooper Scooper Today!
While some pet owners have the time and energy to pick up their dogs’ poop, others don’t. The latter is especially true for pet owners who have many responsibilities on their plates or are looking after a handful of furry friends. If you belong to this category, don’t worry. You can always hire professionals for their dog waste removal services.
To reduce stress as a pet owner, partner with us at K9 Doodie Patrol. We are the best pooper scooper in New Jersey and can keep you and your pets healthy and maintain the sanitation of your property.
You can contact us at 609-817-5937 or fill out this form for a response within the next 24 hours. We also offer dog pickup services, so you’ll have more time and energy to accomplish other things in life!
