Chesapeake In The Know

Walking your dog is a great outdoor activity while we’re social distancing, especially since the standard dog leash is six feet long. But if you’re walking your dog, you must also be scooping the poop! Here are a few reasons why dog poop should not be left on the ground.

It’s not fertilizer. Do not make the cow manure connection! Most dogs eat processed foods and high protein diets which lead to acidic poops. If you leave dog poop on the grass for a few days, you may notice a patch of dead grass underneath once you pick it up.

It’s full of bacteria.  If you’ve ever heard the announcements about sections of the beach being closed due to high bacteria levels, dog poop is partly to blame. Dog poop on your yard gets washed into the stormwater system which eventually leads to our waterways, contaminating the water.

It could have parasites. Dog poop can spread parasites and worms on to other dogs and even to humans.

Letting it lie around your backyard or leaving it around the neighborhood increases your chance of infection and the chances you might infect a dog or child.  Hookworm and roundwork are a couple of gross examples of what you could catch.

So be a responsible dog owner and scoop the poop!