The Pooper Scooper

When I walk down the sidewalk near my condo in San Diego I can not believe how much dog poop is along the sidewalk and sometimes it is even ON the sidewalk. How can you watch your dog poop on the sidewalk and not pick it up? That is just GROSS!!  We are here to educate you on what that does to the environment–not to mention your shoes when you step in it!

Some poop facts for you to ponder thanks to Arden Moore’s popular newsletter:

• A medium-sized dog compiles up to 276 pounds of poop per year, according to Jim Simpson, Arden’s guest on her Oh Behave Show, who specializes in Doggy DNA.
• Poop left lingering packs a health risk. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dog poop can easily become infected with parasites (such as hookworms, ringworms, tape worms and salmonella), causing serious kidney disorders, intestinal illness, cramps and diarrhea in people who come in contact with it.
• Dog poop is NOT good fertilizer–it is actually toxic to your lawn.  The EPA puts dog feces in the same category as oil and toxic chemicals.
• According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pet droppings can contribute to diseases animals pass to humans.  The eggs from the parasites can last in the soil for many years and anyone, including children playing in the grass, can get very sick if contact occurs with the soil.
• According to the EPA and Doodycalls, the decay of your pet’s waste actually creates nutrients for weeds and algae that grow in the waterways. As these organisms thrive on your dog’s droppings, they overtake the water in a “Little Shop of Horrors-esque” manner, and limit the amount of light that can penetrate the water’s surface. As a result, oxygen levels in the water decrease, and the fish and seafood we eat can be asphyxiated.

So, are you going to pick up your dogs poop OR are you going to be THAT neighbor that does not pick up your dogs poop.  My question to you, if you see someone not picking up their dogs poop, do you offer them a bag?