It's full of germs

Dog poop is raw sewage that can spread disease. It can contain disease-causing organisms, including roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, hookworms, fecal coliform, Giardia, Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacteriosis, Cyclospora, and Parvovirus. Even when dog poop looks like it's no longer there, many of these pathogens can survive for days, weeks, months, or sometimes even years in soil and water waiting for a host. 

It can make you sick

People and pets can come into contact with pathogens found in dog poop while playing in grass, walking barefoot, playing sports, gardening, swimming, fishing, or boating. Children are most susceptible, since they often play in the dirt and put things in their mouths or eyes. Infections from pet waste bacteria often cause fever, muscle aches, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea in humans.

It can make other dogs sick

Puppies are especially susceptible to Parvovirus, which they can contract if they make contact with an infected dog's feces.  

It affects recreation and water quality

High levels of fecal bacteria can cause closures in commercial shellfish beds and spread illnesses to pets and wildlife. In addition, the nitrogen and phosphorous found in dog poop can create harmful algal blooms in lakes that turn the water green and cloudy, use up dissolved oxygen, kill fish and other marine life, and make the water unsafe for recreation.

There are a number of factors that make dog poop different from wild animal poop.

Control and impact

Dog poop is different from wild animal poop mainly because humans are able (and obligated) to manage its environmental impact. In contrast, wild animal poop is naturally integrated into the ecosystem. 

Diet differences

Commercial dog food often contains added nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. When dog poop enters water, these nutrients can cause issues such as algae blooms, which reduce oxygen levels and harm fish. Wild animal poop, on the other hand, is usually beneficial. Since wild animals eat natural foods, their waste helps recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem, supporting plant and wildlife health. 

Bacteria and parasites

Dog poop contains lots of bacteria and parasites that are harmful to humans and wildlife. Some of the bacteria and parasites can linger for months…and some for several years! Dogs have evolved to be able to handle most of these germs, but people and other animals can get very sick from them. 

Breakdown rate 

Dog poop breaks down more slowly than wild animal poop due to its different composition. This slow decomposition means harmful bacteria and parasites can persist longer, potentially contaminating groundwater or washing into streams and rivers during heavy rain.

When you're outside on a walk and your dog poops, it's your responsibility to do three things:

1. Bring extra bags.

2. Scoop and bag every poop.

3. Put the bag of dog poop in the trash bin. Never put pet waste in your organics bin or compost pile.

And when your pet poops in your own yard, don't let it linger. Pick up dog poop right away if it's going to rain (or is already raining), and pick it up from your entire yard at least once a week regardless of the weather forecast. Dog poop can contain disease-causing organisms, including roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, hookworms, fecal coliform, Giardia, Salmonella, E. coli, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, and Parvovirus. Even when it looks like it has washed away, many pathogens found in pet waste can survive for days, weeks, months, or sometimes even years in soil and water waiting for a host.

No.

Composting doesn't remove the hazardous pathogens from dog poop, which can contaminate the rest of your compost pile. 

Most home compost piles don't reach temperatures that are hot enough to kill the hazardous pathogens in dog poop. Killing E. coli and Salmonella requires extended exposure at 140-degree temperatures. Giardia can survive temperature extremes, chlorination, and drying. Cryptosporidium, Leptospira, Salmonella, and E. coli can all survive for months in feces or soil, and roundworms can survive for up to four years in soil.

Most commercial compost processors also don't reach a temperature high enough to kill the hazardous pathogens, and they don't accept dog poop because it can contaminate the rest of the composted material. This means you should keep dog poop out of yard waste bins, too. If your solid waste provider discovers pet waste in your organics bin, they may leave your bin full and unemptied with a tag letting you know why they didn't accept the contents. 

The best place for pet waste is in the trash.

Although the bag you're using may be labeled as biodegradable or compostable, dog poop itself is a health hazard and should not be left to biodegrade on its own. 

• Don't put bags of dog poop in your organics/yard waste bin.

• Don't leave bags of dog poop on the ground.

• Do always put bags of dog poop in the trash.

The trash is the safest place to prevent contamination from dog poop.

Biodegradable bags seem like a an eco-friendly option, but in a landfill, they often don't break down the way they're supposed to. The biodegradation process will only happen successfully in an oxygen-filled (aerobic) environment. In most cases, landfills are oxygen-free (anaerobic) environments, meaning that the layers and layers of trash that are piled up in the contained space have no room for air to pass through. So what would happen to the biodegradable bag? If anything, any biodegradable plastics that would break apart in the landfill will actually emit methane, a greenhouse gas that is 23 times more potent than CO2.

Rather than using biodegradable dog poop bag, consider using bags that contain recycled content.

Dog poop is a point source of pollution that can spell big trouble for soil and water quality, and even human health if it's buried too close to vegetable gardens or waterways. And burying it doesn't kill the hazardous pathogens found in dog poop, such as Giardia, Salmonella, and E. coli, and lesser known bacteria like Ancylostoma, Cryptosporidium, and Toxocara canis. When it gets washed into a waterway, dog poop adds excess nitrogen and phosphorous, which can cause algae blooms that use up the oxygen fish and aquatic life need to survive.  

The safest place for dog poop is in the landfill.