Last year, United States pet owners collectively spent upwards of $26 million dollars on veterinarian care and over the counter medicines for their furry loved ones. But what many don’t realize is that many pet illnesses can be avoided by simply keeping the back yard clear of their pet’s waste.

Dog waste is more than just a gross and unsightly mess. It’s also a breeding ground for infection – especially in dog parks and other areas where dogs frequently gather. Bacteria, worms and other parasites thrive in the waste until it’s cleaned up or washed into the water supply. Giardia, ringworm, roundworm and E. coli are examples of such inhabitants, all of which are commonly found in dog feces and are easily transferable upon contact.

When pets become sick, contagions are often times passed through their deposits into their own yard. The longer infected dog waste stays on the ground, the greater a contamination becomes, and when this waste is not picked up, pets have a high risk of catching the infection over and over again.

Roundworm, for example, is one of the most common parasites found in dog waste and it can remain infectious in contaminated soil and water for years.

The best thing pet owners can do to help keep their furry loved ones healthy and safe is to pick up after them and to do so in a timely manner. Those who don’t have enough time to deal with the mess themselves – or simply don’t want to – should consider hiring a local pet waste removal service.

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Keeping pet waste off the ground is an important responsibility held by all pet owners. If not addressed, the presence of unattended-to waste can quickly become a major point of conflict amongst neighbors. In fact, it happens to be the single-most talked about problem in homeowner association and community manager board meetings across the country.

Managing pet waste takes an entire community. Here are some simple tips for both pet owners and non-pet owning residents alike to help keep doggie doody from bringing your community down:

• Keep an eye out. If you notice pet waste accumulating in certain areas, let your community manager know about it. These are called “hot spots” and they tend to attract more waste the longer they go unaddressed.
• When taking your dog for a walk, always keep a couple doody pickup bags with you. Even if you don’t expect Fido to go, you never know. It may also be that you bump into a neighbor who has forgotten a bag of his or her own and will appreciate the gesture.
• Make use of community pet waste stations for bag pickup and drop off. If you have suggestions for additional station locations, communicate them to your community manager. As a regular station user, nobody knows better than you.
• If you forget a bag and your dog does do his business, don’t forget about the waste, too. Head to the nearest pet waste station for a bag, then go back and pick it up.
• If you find a station in disrepair or in need of servicing, notify your community manager. Collecting the waste and refilling the bags is a quick and simple fix, as are most repairs on broken stations.

Why Scoop the Poop?

Keeping this waste off the ground is not just about being considerate to your neighbors and their lawns—it’s also about protecting the environment, your family and the community.

While many of us don’t realize it, dog waste often carries bacteria, worms and other parasites that can be transmitted directly to humans and make them sick. Ringworm, roundworm, salmonella and giardia are examples of such bacteria, all of which are found in dog feces and are easily transferable upon contact.

In an effort to curb pet waste problems, many areas are now enforcing “pooper scooper” ordinances in which failing to clean up after a dog can carry a hefty fine.

Most laws are similar: No person owning, keeping, or having custody of a dog, except a seeing eye dog, shall allow or permit the dog to defecate or urinate on public parking or any sidewalk and each such person shall immediately remove dog excrement from any curb, gutter, alley or street. (Washington, D.C., “Pooper Scooper” Law)

Don’t let doggie doody get your community down. Be considerate of your community and pick up the poop.

Dog Poop in Your Community—DoodyCalls Is Your Solution to a Messy Situation

Controlling dog poop is the number one topic of discussion at community board meetings across the country; dogs don’t pick up after themselves and sometimes their owners don’t either. That’s where DoodyCalls comes in handy. 

DoodyCalls is the recognized industry leader in managing pet waste for communities, homeowners associations, apartments, and condominiums. No matter what your pet waste problem is, we have an affordable solution for you.

DoodyCalls provides the following services to communities:

• Creating a pet waste management plan that meets your specific needs.
• The sale, installation and servicing of pet waste stations and supplies.
• Cleaning and deodorizing of any community areas.
• Picking up loose trash from common areas.
• Assistance with the planning of new dog parks.

Get a free estimate for your community with just a few clicks!

Or you can give us a call at 1-800-DoodyCalls.
(1-800-366-3922)

The DoodyCalls Pet Waste Handbook & Real Scoop Series

DoodyCalls is committed to helping you keep your community clean and safe for residents, their families and pets to enjoy. As the definitive subject matter experts in all things related to pet waste, and drawing on over a decade of experience, we have created The Pet Waste Management Handbook and The Real Scoop Series to help you do just that.

These resources are available to you and your community absolutely free, courtesy of DoodyCalls. To learn more, click here.

Did you know that America’s 78.2 million dogs collectively deposit 10 million tons of waste per year? That’s enough dog doo to fill 267,500 tractor trailers. If those 18 wheelers where lined up bumper to bumper, the caravan would stretch 3,800 miles! That’s the distance from Seattle to Boston, with a 750 mile detour through Oklahoma!

At DoodyCalls, we scoop more than 6 million poops every year. It’s our mission to make the world a better place to live, one scoop at a time.

This Earth Day, you can help too— just remember to pick up after your pets. Every scoop makes a difference.

To download a PDF version of this infographic, please click here.