• It is not fertilzer! Contrary to what some people believe, dog waste is not fertilizer.
  • Like human waste, dog waste may contain harmful bacteria and viruses including E. coli and Salmonella.
• It contaminates our water supply! Rain often flushes pet waste left on trails, sidewalks, streets, and grassy areas into the nearest waterway (even if you can't see water near you, the feces go into your stormdrain).
  • Thousands of miles of rivers in the United States are unsafe for swimming due to fecal contamination.
  • Studies done in the last few years put dogs third or fourth on the list of contributors to bacteria in contaminated waters.

Rember, often times children play in the areas where your dog poops, and many of us drink or swim in the water that these droppings contaminate.

What’s the best way to handle this messy situation?

Scoop the poop, throw it in the garbage or flush it down the toilet.

• Do scoop the poop, bag it, and place it in the trash - No need to hide it, it’s allowed! Placing it in the trash removes the pollution source from surface water contact and contains it in a landfill situation where discharges are monitored and containment levels are known. Landfills are designed to safely handle substances such as dog waste, cat litter, and dirty diapers.
  
  
• Do flush poop down the toilet if you are on a municipal sewer system:
  • If you are on a municipal sewer system, flushing is a highly desirable method of disposal.
  • For homes with septic systems, flushing pet waste can potentially exceed the design capacity of the septic system. High volumes of hair and ash, not normally found in human waste, can interfere with septic system functions and clog drain fields.
    
    
• Don't . . . Compost or bury poop - Most home compost piles don’t reach temperatures sufficient to kill many hazardous pathogens that may be in the waste and can pollute water.
  • Extended exposure at 140 degree temperatures is required to kill E. coli and Salmonella both of which can survive for months in feces or soil.
  • Roundworms can survive for four years in soil.