Dog owners and dog walkers: please remember to pick up after your pet. Thanks for helping to keep our streets and waterways clean. Dog-loving neighbor Stacie says, “When I’m on a walk, I always try to have plenty of bags with me. I’m prepared so I won’t be the neighbor who leaves my dog’s poop in someone else’s yard, knowing I wouldn’t want it left in mine. Be considerate to the neighborhood.”
If you’re out with your dog but forgot a bag, you can pick one up in the Park at the dog waste bag dispenser. In the new year, the TPNA is considering installing more dog waste bag dispensers in other locations in the neighborhood. Stay tuned.
5 Reasons to Pick Up After Your Pet (Source: Durham Public Works)
- To Protect Our Water: Pet waste left on the ground gets washed by rain into drains and ditches that flow into our localwaterways. This water is not treated. All the bacteria, viruses, and parasitic worms in the waste get into our water.
- To Stay Healthy: Dog waste can contain bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Leaving it in your yard means bacteria is likely to get tracked into your house. Wastecan also attract flies and rats which carry additional diseases.
- Dog Poop Isn’t Fertilizer: It is very acidic and will burn plants and grass. Extra nutrients don’t sink into our clay soil. Instead they wash away into our creeks and streams and cause algae to grow.
- Your Neighbors Will Like You Better: No one likes dog poop. Your neighbors don’t want to see, step in, or smell dog poop. They will appreciate your picking up after your pet.
- It’s Not Going Anywhere: Poop does not magically disappear. Dog waste can take up to a year
to break down. An average dog creates almost 100 pounds of waste a year. That is a lot to leave lying around.
