Pick Up Your Dog’s Sh*t
Let’s talk about how our pet’s literal shit impacts the environment. Do you clean up after your pet when he or she does their business outside? If you do, thank you for protecting our shoes! Whether you clean up after your dog or not, there is an impact that pet waste has on the environment.
Leaving It
If you’re the one that leaves poop to decompose on its own, and carelessly provides an opportunity to ruin someone’s day when walking down the street, you’re in for an even bigger impact. Leaving waste from your dog in the grass not only is an eyesore but pollutes our waterways. Pet waste is one of the top 10 contributors of nutrient pollution that leads to eutrophication in bodies of water.
Eutrophication is the build up of nutrients in water due to pollution, and causes fish and other organisms to die in the polluted area, creating a dead zone. Pets contribute to this process when their waste is washed away into stormwater drains and streams to decay. Then, oxygen becomes depleted in the water and ammonia is released. Due to the lack of oxygen and high levels of ammonia in the water, fish and other organisms die. Even further, this waste contains nutrients that increase algae growth in the water, making water unsafe for human access such as swimming, boating and fishing.
A serious example of eutrophication is the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River receives runoff from over 40% of the United States. Nutrient pollution runoffs from rural and urban areas into rivers which eventually discharge into the Gulf of Mexico. This large amount of pollution leads to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
In June 2020, NOAA forecasted that the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico was to be approximately 6,700 square miles which is larger than the average of 5,387 square miles. That’s 6,700 square miles of an ecosystem that used to thrive, but is now unsuitable for fish and other organisms to survive. This is a huge issue since eutrophication releases pathogens and is absorbed by fish that people eat, and organisms die off that are essential to the ecosystem.
Cleaning It
In terms of those who clean up after their dog, they have their environmental impact as well. The supplies that are used to keep up the hygiene of your home and yard may contain chemicals that contaminate the environment or they simply produce plastic waste that takes up space in the landfill.
When training a puppy, “puppy pads” are a popular option for teaching a puppy to not pee or poop on the floor. I opted to not use puppy pads because I believe they teach your dog to do their business in the house, but they are noted as a successful training tactic for many people. Either way, puppy pads are made from non-reusable and non-recyclable plastic, gels, paper, and other materials. These materials often end up in the dump, and create large amounts of trash. This creates a waste management problem which I discussed in my previous post. So, if you are a puppy pad user, check out this reusable version that is more eco-friendly.
Additionally, when training your puppy, there’s a lot of cleaning up accidents. The products used to clean up these accidents often contain harmful detergents that contaminate the environment and end up in our waterways (also contributing to eutrophication). To prevent this issue, I use Truce Clean Odor Remover which is specifically designed for cleaning up after your pet, and Pure Haven’s Master Blaster to disinfect and remove any stains left behind. These two products are free from harmful chemicals and are safe for animals and children alike.
Once your dog is trained, it’s time to address cleaning-up their “potties” outside. Often people use plastic bags or old grocery bags to pick-up after their dog. Once again, thank you for protecting our shoes (and waterways)! However, this creates an additional waste issue. Plastic does not decompose easily and may stay in the environment for over 400 years. As a result, I choose to use degradable poop bags either by Beco or Frisco, and Beco’s Poop Bag Dispenser made from plant fiber. These products provide an easy and eco-friendly way to clean up after your dog.
Here is a photo of the Beco Pocket and Beco poop bags I use for Forest when we go on walks
Big Concept
Overall, cleaning up after our dogs is not the most invigorating experience, but can have a significant impact on the environment. Be knowledgeable of the impact your dog’s waste has on the environment and considerate of others when your dog does its business. Clean-up after your pet is done, and take care of the waste in an eco-friendly manner. Let’s make a difference to protect our waterways.
Hope you all enjoyed this post! Please let me know in the comments if you tried any of the products I talked about. Until the next update, let’s keep making a difference!
