About 1 million pounds of dog waste is deposited daily in North Texas alone. That's why proper disposal of pet waste can make a big difference in the environment.  5 photos, 2 page

Lesikar, Bruce J.

Mechell, Justin

Texas A&amp;M Repository

Pets, including cats and dogs, are part of the family in more thanhalf of the households in the United States. The North CentralTexas Council of Governments reports that about 1.2 million dogslive in the 16-county North Central Texas region. The U.S. Food andDrug Administration estimates the average dog produces three-quartersof a pound of waste each day. In North Texas, that’s about 1 millionpounds of daily dog waste.Pet waste can lower the quality of the water supply because it containspotentially harmful fecal coliform bacteria, viruses and other disease-causing organisms. In addition, nutrients in pet waste can contribute toaquatic plant growth that can deplete oxygen in the water and causefish kills.How Does Pet Waste Enter Waterways?Storm water flows wash pet waste into bodies of water. In its naturalstate, the land can hold and absorb much of the rain that falls, but asurban areas expand and more soil surface is covered, more pet waste iswashed into open waters through these storm flows. Because housing,business and road development covers land with impervious surfaces,less rainfall is absorbed into the soil in urban areas and more rainwaterruns off.Risks Associated with Pet WastePet waste contains bacteria, viruses and parasites that can harm hu-mans. People come into contact with pet waste via outdoor pets, chil-dren at play, yard work and even flies.According to the University of Wisconsin’s Extension publication, PetWaste and Water Quality, these diseases or parasites can be transmittedfrom pet waste to humans:• Campylobacteriosis: A bacterial infection carried by dogs and catsthat frequently causes diarrhea in humans.• Cryptosporidium: A protozoan parasite carried by dogs, cats, mice,calves and many other mammals. Common symptoms include diar-rhea, stomach cramps, nausea and dehydration. May be fatal to peoplewith depressed immune systems.• Toxocariasis: Roundworms usually transmitted from dogs to humans,often without noticeable symptoms. May cause vision loss, rash, feveror cough.Justin Mechell and Bruce Lesikar**Extension Assistant, Biological and AgriculturalEngineering; and Professor, Associate DepartmentHead and Extension Program Leader forBiological and Agricultural Engineering;The Texas A&M SystemAdapted with permission from material developedby the University of Wisconsin-Extension and theWisconsin Department of Natural Resources.Pet Waste ManagementL-55037-08• Toxoplasmosis: A protozoan parasite carried by cats that can be a haz-ard for pregnant women because it can cause birth defects in the fetus,including mental retardation and blindness; also a problem for peoplewith depressed immune systems. Symptoms include headache, muscleaches and lymph node enlargement.What to do with Pet WasteLeaving pet waste to decay in the yard can cause unintended problems.Beneficial microorganisms in the soil can break down pet waste intonutrients that can be used by plants. However, pet waste left near areasof water flow—such as medians along roads and storm sewers, or areasnear lakes, waterways, ditches and drainage ways—should be picked upand disposed of properly. In these areas, storm water flows can easilywash pet waste into waterways before microbes can break down theharmful bacteria and pathogens. Pet waste should also be removed fromany area that has a high chance for human contact, such as parks, play-grounds or gardens.Pet Waste and Water Quality offers three ways to properly dispose ofpet waste:• Flush it down the toilet.Waste that is flushed down the toilet goes to a municipal treatmentplant or an onsite wastewater treatment system that will adequatelytreat the waste before it reaches the environment. Flushing anythingthat cannot be consumed by the microbes in the wastewater treatmentsystem can cause costly problems to plumbing or wastewater treatmentsystem. Cat litter, rocks and plastic should not enter an onsite waste-water treatment system.• Bury it in your yard.Dig a hole or trench at least 5 inches deep away from any area wherewater commonly flows. In order to limit the possibility of human con-tact with harmful pathogens in pet waste, do not bury the waste nearvegetable gardens. Do not put it in the compost pile because the temper-ature there will not be high enough to kill harmful bacteria and otherorganisms.• Throw it in your trash.Throwing pet waste in the trash is easy but not necessarily the bestsolution. In addition to local laws or ordinances that may ban this, oncethe waste reaches the landfill, it can harm the environment.Another solution is to install a pet waste composter. Check local regula-tions to ensure the legality of the installation. If so, be sure the com-poster is installed properly. Pet waste composters can be built from afew readily available items and are also available commercially. Thefinal composted waste may still contain harmful bacteria and othermicroorganisms if proper temperatures are not achieved.ReferencesJohnson, Carolyn. 1999. Pet Waste and Water Quality. University ofWisconsin-Extension. GWQ006. Madison, WI.North Central Texas Council of Governments. For the Love of Your Pet,Please DOO the Right Thing! Accessed on: Feb. 14, 2007.Available at: www.nctcog.org/envir/SEEclean/stormwater/program-areas/public_education/pet-DOO.asp.Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and June 30, 1914,in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture.Edward G. Smith, Director, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, The Texas A&M System.Produced by AgriLife Communications and Marketing, The TexasA&M System Texas AgriLife Extension publications can be foundon the Web at: http://AgriLifebookstore.orgVisit the Texas AgriLife Extension Service athttp://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu15M-New

Pet Waste Management

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Pet Waste Management

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Pet Waste Management

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