After working eight years for my local environmental organization, Save The Bay, I learned quite a bit about marine pollution and its causes. And while some causes (like stormwater runoff) are out of our hands, there are others completely in our control. One of those is picking up dog poop.

In 1991, the EPA labeled dog waste as a non-point source of pollution (alongside insecticides, oil, grease and acid drainage). Which means it’s a serious thing. Poop contaminates the ground around it and can also get washed into local storm drains and waterways when it rains.

Benefits of Picking Up Dog Poop

Healthier Pups and People

Diseases such as E. Coli, roundworms, giardia and salmonella can be transmitted through dog feces to other dogs, cats or even people. (According to Stephan Budiansky in his book, “The Truth About Dogs,” there are 65 diseases that dogs can transmit to humans — yikes!) Kids, especially, are more susceptible to picking up these diseases since they play on the ground.

Picking up your poop keeps us all a little bit healthier.

Cleaner Water

Stormwater from rains carries pet feces into local rivers, lakes and bays. The nitrogen in pet poop depletes the water’s oxygen supply, which is vital to fish, seagrass and other marine creatures. Not to mention the bacteria and possible diseases that seep from the poop into our water—1 gram of dog feces contains 23 million grams of fecal bacteria!

Even if you don’t care about marine life, you probably do care about your local beaches and fishing areas closing, your drinking water becoming contaminated or your family exhibiting cramps, diarrhea or intestinal illnesses that often stem from fecal bacteria.

Picking up your poop keeps water cleaner for drinking and recreation.

Happier Yard

Even if you just let your dog poop in your own yard, your grass won’t be too happy about it. Unlike cow manure, dog poop is not your garden’s friend; the high levels of nitrogen in dog urine can be toxic to plants and will definitely contaminate your veggie garden. A dog’s high protein diet leads to acidic waste, which causes grass to “burn” or become discolored. And the longer dog poop is left lying in the yard, the higher the chance of spreading bacteria. Parasite eggs in the poop can even linger for years.

Picking up your poop keeps your plants and grass healthier.

Happier Neighbors

Nobody likes to step in dog poop, smell it wafting through their windows or see flies buzzing around their lawn. In some towns, it’s even illegal to leave dog waste on public property, which extends to sidewalks.

Picking up your poop puts a smile on your neighbors’ faces.

One more note: Dog poop can be flushed down the toilet, if you prefer not to have it stink up your trashcan.

Since adding a pooch to my family last year, I am amazed at how many dog owners do not pick up after their dogs. Land mines abound in the neighborhood, right where people walk and kids play. A popular dumping ground for dog poop is the cemetery perimeter across the street from my house. I recently made a little sign, complete with a roll of poop bags, to post along the grass, and I’m hoping the convenience of a bag will motivate some of these people to use it.