Ahhhhhh! Oh, NO! NO! NO! I howled. I can’t believe it! I looked down at my white tennis shoe with the little white mesh holes now enveloped in a humongous soft brown substance with the fragrance of a cesspool! I was putting the last stake in my public information tent when I backed up into a large deposit of dog feces on the outside of a park fence. Ugh. Perhaps you are one of those few who have a similar story to tell?
The scary part is this: Though dog feces is “natural” along with other feces, a small number of people understand that feces can have an impact on not only on our health and our neighbors’ health, but also on the health of our waterways. It is just not something we normally think about. But it is so important that some cities, including Hampton, have an ordinance (Class -4 Misdemeanor) requiring that dog owners or caretakers pick up their dog’s waste and dispose of it properly.
Why have such ordinances? Doesn’t everyone pick up their dog’s waste and deposit it in the trash? Perhaps you are someone who considers dog feces compost and therefore leaves it on the ground. After all, animal manure is valuable to amend soil, right? However, according to research, dog and cat feces are not recommended in your garden or as compost because of the parasites and bacteria their feces may carry (Source: the Gardener, Vol 7 No. 2, Summer 1996, Van Bobbitt, community horticulture coordinator, WSU Puyallup).
According to the CDC (National Center for Disease Control), dog feces can contain:
- Campylobacteriosisv- can cause latent autoimmune effects
- Cryptosporidiosis – infection of the small intestine that causes diarrhea
- Zoonotic hookworms – can infect the intestine and cause abdominal pain, discomfort, and diarrhea
- Salmonella – can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps
These health factors are especially important to children under five years of age, cancer patients and those whose immune systems are weakened. Additionally, when feces washes into our waterways via ditches and storm drains, beaches may have to be closed because of high bacteria count. Also, the nitrogen pollution from feces washed into our waterways promotes excess algae growth known as algae bloom. Neither is healthy for us or our marine ecosystem.
You certainly don’t want what happened to me to happen to children as they walk the neighborhoods! The next time you take your dog out for a walk, place several plastic grocery bags in your pocket so you can pick up your “buddy’s” deposit. After scooping, tie the bag up tightly and place in trash when you get home. That qualifies as a wonderful act of kindness!