Are you a responsible dog walker? By that, I mean do you pick up your dog’s poop? If not, you may be contributing not only to your neighbor’s blood pressure problem, but also to a serious water contamination problem.
According to Keep It Clean Partnership, a Boulder, Colorado based organization, Dog waste is cited as the 3rd or 4th largest contributor of bacterial pollution in urban watersheds. The average dog produces approximately 3/4 pounds of poop every day. Water and rain run-off drag your dog’s 3/4 pound along into nearby streams, where the water becomes polluted.
Does a bear poop in the woods? Obviously, bears and other wildlife also contribute to the problem, but when compared to dog feces, wildlife feces have lower phosphorus levels. Phosphorus damages the plant life in streams.
Also, dog feces contain bacteria that you really don’t want to find its way into your drinking water. Things like the bugs that cause Giardia, Salmonella, and Campylobacter in humans can run rampant in dog feces. Do you really want to drink water that is contaminated with these?
So, be a good citizen! Clean up after your dog.
Until next time,
Good (Earth) day, and good dog!