If you have a pet, then chances are you have pet waste. As unpleasant and time-consuming as pooper scooper duty may be, keeping doggie deposits off the ground is an important responsibility held by every pet owner. Here’s why:
Dog waste is an environmental pollutant. According to estimates by the Environmental Protection Agency, two or three days' worth of droppings from a population of about 100 dogs can contribute enough bacteria to temporarily close a bay and all watershed areas within 20 miles to swimming and shell fishing.
Pet byproducts can harm your health. Many don’t realize it, but dog waste often carries parasites and bacteria that can be transmitted directly to humans and make them sick.
Contaminated waste can make dogs sick, too. When pets become sick, contagions are typically passed through their deposits and into the yard. The longer infected dog waste stays on the ground, the greater the contamination becomes. When this waste is not picked up, pets have a high risk of catching infections over and over again.
It doesn’t just disappear. Bacteria, worms, and other parasites thrive in unattended waste, eventually breaking down into the soil and washing into the water supply. Roundworm, for example, is one of the most common parasites found in dog doo and it can remain infectious in contaminated soil and water for years.
Rodents love pet waste. Dog poop can be a common food source for rats and other rodents in developed areas. An unwanted neighbor in any community, the presence of rodents can decrease the property values of all nearby homes and present a host of additional health concerns to residents themselves.
Dog waste is far from fertilizer. Unlike herbivores, a dog’s diet is made up of mostly animal products, making their waste unsuitable for soil enrichment. Leaving pet waste on the ground or concentrating it in one specific area of the yard can have a detrimental effect on soil quality.
Mowing over doggie deposits does not solve the problem. Running doggie deposits over with a lawn mower may seem like the perfect doo-doo disappearing act, but just because you can’t see the waste anymore doesn’t mean it’s not there.
Children are at risk. Children at play don’t often wash their hands and most do not realize the potential hazards of coming into contact with waste that has been left on the ground. The bacteria and parasites found in dog droppings are most commonly passed to humans by touch.
An unsightly mess. Nothing ruins soft green grasses like little brown presents covering the yard.
Less mess, less stress. The more frequently you scoop the yard, the easier it is to stay on top of the aforementioned pet waste problems. Luckily, for those who don’t have enough time to pull out the rake or shovel and scour the yard for doggie deposits, local pet waste removal services can help you wash your hands clean of the whole cleanup business, all for about the same price as a large pizza.