Benefits of Scooping the Poop (REGULARLY)!

Anyone that's ever owned a pet, or knows someone that has, understands the obvious reasons why it is important to clean-up after your pet. Pet waste is unattractive to look at. It smells. It attracts annoying pests. It makes an awful mess when someone (or something ) steps in it, and it's just downright repulsive to have to deal with, in any capacity.

Simply put - everyone agrees that pet waste needs to be cleaned-up, but lots of pet-owners don't want to do it, are physically unable to do it, don't have the time to do it, or are just plain inconsiderate enough not to do it. To this end, let me pass along some additional, yet hopefully more motivating reasons why it is important for pet owners to properly provide for the clean-up of their pets "business" on a regular and recurring basis.

Pet waste is a health hazard . That's right. Pet waste left lying on the ground can actually make you, your family, and your pets, get sick. It can cause this because animal waste, especially dog waste, can contain and transmit parasites such as roundworm, hookworm, coccida, tapeworm and whipworm to name of few. When infected dog waste is left lying on the ground, the eggs of these parasites enter the soil and live there - for a long time. Then, when humans (or pets) come in contact with that soil, they also come in contact with the parasitic eggs, thus potentially starting an infection. Young children that play on the ground, teens or adults playing a pick-up football game, or gardeners tending their soil are all prone to coming in contact with the infested soil.

Pet waste left to accumulate is a big contributor to ground water pollution . It washes down our streets, through our storm drains, eventually making its way to our lakes, streams, and eventually the ocean, carrying all of the parasites, bacteria, viruses and fungi along with it. The result is increased bacteria counts in our ground water supplies, and viral infections and skin rashes for swimmers and outdoor sportsman alike.

And finally, canine waste is poisonous to lawns . It will kill your grass, not grow it or "fertilize" it. It is protein-based matter, not vegetative-based matter like horse manure is. Because of this, it will take more than one year for canine waste to biologically decompose when left lying on the ground, and as it does, it drags all of the above mentioned parasites into the soil with it where they will linger for years.