A cleaner community

Why is pet waste removal important to our communities? Picking up pet waste is not just about keeping sidewalks, parks, and our yards clean — it’s about protecting our water, health and environment. 

Did you know pet waste can and does enter into our waterways? According to the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, "Due to dogs' high-protein diets, their waste is highly acidic. It is not a fertilizer and can contain 10 times as much fecal coliform bacteria as cow manure, and also a whole lot of nasty stuff like e. coli, salmonella, and giardia."

How does this happen? Simply put, when it rains dog waste can enter into our waterways through groundwater and can wash into our storm drains. This leads to contaminating our lakes and streams. This pollution affects everyone. 

Dogs often have parasites, even if they are not showing symptoms. It is important to get your dog regularly vetted and checked for parasites including giardia. Some parasites are transferable between dogs or other animals, and some can even be transmitted to humans as well. This is a full circle moment. When we keep our environment clean we also keep humans and dogs safe, and vice versa. 

It’s a simple act, with a big impact.

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