If you’re a dog owner, like us, then you know that scooping up your dog’s poop is not the most glamorous job. As unpleasant as it can be it’s extremely important to clean up those doggie deposits and here are the top 10 reasons why!

1. Disease Central
   • Dog Waste is a hub for many types of diseases. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, dogs can serve as the host for up to 65 different diseases that can be transmitted to humans, including hookworms, roundworms and threadworms. The EPA has deemed dog waste a toxic pollutant. If left on the ground, these parasites, bacteria, and viruses can contaminate the water, soil, and infect both pets and humans.
2. Waterway Pollutant
   • Every time it rains, dog waste left on the ground makes its way to our waterways causing elevated levels of bacteria in our rivers and streams. Stormwater and drain run-offs can carry pet waste and other contaminants directly into waterways. On top of carrying diseases into waterways dog poop has an adverse effect on the water itself. This is a problem for marine animals in particular as animal waste adds more nitrogen to the water. When there is excess nitrogen in the water it depletes the oxygen that is necessary for underwater grasses, wildlife, and fish to survive.
3. Doggie Illness
   • While a dog eating another dog’s, stool sounds disgusting (because it is!) it does happen at times. If you see this happening you should stop your dog from doing it but sometimes, you’re not around or they eat the poop before you can stop them. This is an absolute direct way for dogs to contract parasites and other diseases. It’s really unsafe for your dog to consume other animal’s stool along with their own. A good way to prevent this, aside from keeping a watchful eye, is to pick up after your dog because it will help protect your dog and others. In addition, when your dog becomes sick and the already contained waste is left to rot on your yard it becomes more toxic and dangerous to your pet.
4. It’s Not Fertilizer
   • A dog’s diet is made up of mostly animal products, making their waste unsuitable for soil enrichment. Dogs digest food very differently than animals whose manure is typically used as fertilizer, such as cows.  Cows digest their plant-based diet four times more than dogs allowing it to be manure. Pet waste left on the ground to act as fertilizer, will not only leave stains and burn marks but will also have detrimental effects on the soil. Dog waste should not be considered a fertilizer due to the concentrated bacteria that will do more harm than good.
5. Easily Transmitted
   • If you are anything like us, we love nothing more than our family time and spending it outside. If dog waste is left unkept in your yard it becomes easily transferable to pets, children, and others. If not properly cleaned, that waste can be transmitted to your house, place of work, public transit, or common areas. No one likes stepping in dog poop so clean it up!
6. It Doesn’t Just Disappear
   • Dog waste will not go away over time. 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 poop and it can remain infectious in contaminated soil and water for years. The longer the dog waste sits in the yard uncleaned, the more toxic it becomes. Running over dog waste with a lawn mower may seem like the perfect way to make the waste disappear, but just because you can’t see the waste anymore doesn’t mean it’s not there.
7. Messy Yard
   • When your yard is full of dog waste it not only becomes a haven for bad bacteria but also becomes a huge mess. Even in the winter months when the snow covers the dog waste, it’s a huge headache in the Spring to clean all of that up. Unkept dog waste is simply put, a messy situation.
8. Odor
   • Aside from increasing the likelihood of stepping in poop by neglecting to scoop poop in your own back yard or public places you’re leaving behind an awful stink. As time goes by, especially during the heat of the day, the odor of the poop left behind grows stronger and stronger. By leaving behind a foul odor it limits the ability for you and your family to enjoy your yard, let alone public places that you take your dog too. Decreasing cleanliness and the increasing stench can be a troublesome duo for unkept dog waste.
9. Bug Problems
   • When pet owners leave behind poop in their backyards or public places it attracts flies and other parasites to the area. Ticks and mosquitoes are very attracted to dog waste and can also be quite dangerous. They can contain several diseases including Lyme disease. Other insects, such as flies, may be harmless but still unwanted in or near your home as well as public places. Yellowjackets and hornets who may not necessarily be interested in the dog poop, will be very interested in those flies swarming around it.
10. It’s the Right Thing To Do
    • One of the biggest reasons you should be picking up after your pet is because it’s the right thing to do. The more frequently you scoop the yard, the easier it is to stay on top of the pet waste problems. Your family, friends, neighbors, and pets will be able to enjoy the outdoors much more frequently and with less worry.

If you are looking for help cleaning your yard from dog waste, please text us, call us, or email us. We at Dog Gone Waste Removal, are professional pooper scoopers who take our job seriously. We want your yard to be free from hazardous waste and enjoyable for you and your family! It’s affordable and worth it, trust us! Contact Us Today