It’s not the best part of being a dog parent, but keeping your yard free of waste provides a variety of benefits to both your home and your community. Check out this fact-packed post to learn more about why you should pick up dog poop in your yard, dog park, or on walks around your neighborhood.
1. Damage to your local water tables
Dog waste left in your yard can slowly leech into local water supplies thanks to precipitation like rain and snow. Over time, the contaminants in your dog’s poop can cause nitrogen build-up in the water, hurting wildlife and aquatic vegetation. You can pick your dog's poop with the help of dog pooper scooper easily.
2. Exposure to disease
Animal waste can sometimes contain harmful microorganisms like E. Coli and Salmonella, disease-causing bacteria that can easily be transferred to humans, resulting in serious illness and life-threatening complications – particularly with children.
Another potential disease exposure is parvovirus, a common and devastating canine virus that can be transferred to other dogs through their feces. Sadly, if gone untreated, parvovirus has a 91% mortality rate. Thankfully, there are vaccinations to prevent parvo, but that doesn’t mean all pups have been properly vaccinated.
3. Parasites
Avoiding dangerous bacteria isn’t the only reason you should pick up dog poop. Roundworm and hookworm are common parasites that live in the intestines of animals. Leaving poop in your yard can transfer these parasites to the soil where they can infect you, your family, and your pet.
4. Toxicity
Your dog’s waste contains toxins that can seep into your yard over time, making it difficult to maintain and beautiful lawn or flower garden. Additionally, dog poop can affect your vegetable garden by leeching toxic chemicals into the soil. Helping to improve your soil’s health is another reason why you should pick up dog poop.