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| Do I need to contemplate doggie poop? I don't think so! That is Mama's responsibility. |
This month kicked off with "International Pooper Scooper Week" on April 1 and
will end with a similarly themed weekly ahem …celebration:
"National Scoop the Poop Week."
To commemorate both - and that daily ritual
for pet parents - we separate the fact from the fiction about disposing pet
poop.
Fact
Flushing dog poop down the toilet - without
a bag, only the waste - is perhaps the best disposal method, says the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and the National Resources
Defense Council. Leaving pet waste on the ground increases public health
risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into storm drains, and
eventually into local waterbodies.
But cat feces should never be flushed, as it
may contain Toxoplasma
gondii, a parasite that can infect people and animals. Municipal water
treatment systems do not always kill this parasite.
But cat feces should never be flushed, as it
may contain Toxoplasma
gondii, a parasite that can infect people and animals. Municipal water
treatment systems do not always kill this parasite.
Fiction
Leaving dog poop behind is
good for the soil. Reality: In order for feces from a carnivorous animal
to be used as an effective fertilizer, it has to be fully composted with other
materials such as egg shells and grass clippings and allowed to break down over
time.
Fact
America's 78.2 million dogs collectively
deposit 10 million tons of waste per year, according to waste clean-up service,
Doody Calls. That's enough to fill some 268,000 tractor trailers.
Fiction
Fact
Fiction
Dog waste cannot harm your
health. Reality: Dog feces can carry a host of disease and worms --
including heartworms, whipworms, hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, parvovirus,
giardia, salmonella, and even E. coli. This is why it's imperative to clean it
up after Fido does his duty.
Fact
If not flushing (again only bagless dog
poop, never cat waste), it's best to use a biodegradable bag and place in the
garbage.
Fiction
Bagged poop can be
flushed. Reality: It can clog home plumbing and stress sewer systems.
By Bryant, Carol / Pet360
By Bryant, Carol / Pet360
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