North Texas Daily

Dog Poop. We have all seen it, and many of us have even stepped in it.

That moment when you feel the squish under your foot is never pleasant. Embarrassed and disgusted, you’re forced to scrape off the bulk of it and clean your shoe at the first possible opportunity. Noses perk up around you, searching for the odor you carry on your foot.

If you live in a pets-allowed apartment, you are no doubt familiar with the widespread and ever-growing collection of feces on the many grassy areas and, sometimes, sidewalks.

While dog poop is inconvenient, it can also be extremely dangerous for fellow dogs and humans alike. Feces of dogs, humans and other animals can contain many different types of disease.

If you don’t have a pet, you still have cause for concern because many of these droppings contain Zoonotic disease, which is transferrable to humans.

In 1991, the EPA actually labeled dog feces as a pollutant. The level of hazard of this pollutant is likened to herbicides and insecticides as they fall into the same category of pollutant, called a non-point source pollutant. Also known as NPS pollutants, they become truly hazardous when precipitation occurs.

Water rushes across the earth collecting pollutants, both natural and human, and deposits them into valuable sources of water, such as the Trinity River.

The Trinity River supplies water to much of North Texas and, like all sources of clean water, should be protected as if life depended on it.

Contaminated dog feces can also cause immediate negative effects to your own pets and then, of course, to you. All it takes is a sniff or the consumption of the feces — which dogs are prone to do — to become infected. As a vector, or one who spreads disease, the dog can bring any contaminants back to you.

Some of the most well-known diseases contracted by dogs from dog feces are the parvo virus, whipworms, hookworms and more. Puppies have a particularly difficult time recovering from such afflictions.

If you are wondering how you can do your part as a pet owner to reduce the chances of either you or your fuzzy child getting sick, I have the answer.

Picking up your dog’s poop with a little baggie is the easiest and most efficient way to prevent the spread of disease. Many apartment complexes and parks offer bag dispensers and disposal containers to encourage pet owners to do their part in making a safe environment for all.

Petco, PetSmart and even general stores often sell these bags in bulk, as well as tiny containers to make cleaning up after your dog even easier.

It is our responsibility as pet owners to make these efforts to protect our animal companions and ourselves.

Featured Image: Illustration by Gabby Evans