VITAL REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG

Reasons Why You Should Clean Up After Your Dog

Here are some important reasons why you should pick up your pet’s waste:

• It’s ugly
• It smells
• It’s messy
• It’s the right thing to do
• It pollutes the environment
• It attracts pests and parasites
• It contaminates water (rivers, streams, lakes and our oceans)
• Bacteria in waste can endanger humans, pets, wildlife, birdlife and marine life
• It’s high in nitrogen and phosphorus which promote weed and algae growth in water

Diseases Associated with Animal Feces

Several diseases can be transmitted from dogs to humans via feces.

• Giardia
• Parvovirus
• Salmonella
• Canine coronavirus
• Cryptosporidium
• Campylobacter
• Roundworms
• Hookworms
• Whipworms

One gram of dog waste can contain up to 23 million fecal coliform bacteria.

How to Pick Up & Discard Waste

There are various ways to deal with waste, so it’s best to confirm what your municipality expects of you, for example:

• VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA: Deposit it in a suitable refuse container.
• CALGARY, ALBERTA: Package into securely tied double plastic garbage bags and place inside your containers for collection.
• EDMONTON, ALBERTA: Collect in a plastic bag and throw in the garbage.
• WINNIPEG, MANITOBA: Put small amounts of pet waste in tightly sealed bags together with household garbage.
• OTTAWA, ONTARIO: Flush it down the toilet / wrap it in absorbent paper and place it in a sealed, leak-proof bag with regular garbage, in quantities of less than 11% by volume of the total garbage bag/can.
• GUELPH, ONTARIO: Property owners are responsible for the removal and sanitary disposal of any excrement.
• HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: Flush it down the toilet or double bag and dispose with regular garbage collection.
• TORONTO, ONTARIO: Pet waste (in any type of plastic bag) is accepted in Toronto’s green bin.

Other options include:

• Get a backyard composter / digester (if it’s allowed)
• Find out if there’s a company in your area that picks up and properly disposes of pet waste.

What NOT to Do

• DON’T compost pet waste as it’s not safe
• DON’T use compost that contains pet waste
• DON’T go for doggy walks without a way to remove waste from the environment

DID YOU KNOW? 1 to 7 April is International Pooper Scooper Week!

In 2008, the first week of April was declared International Pooper Scooper Week. Its purpose is to spread awareness of a rising problem and educate pet parents on the importance of cleaning up after their dogs. #PooperScooper Week

Do Your Part as Pet Parent

From 1 to 7 April AND BEYOND, let’s commit to being better pooch parents by picking up and discarding waste properly.