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Nothing can quite compare to the feeling of walking barefoot through the
grass on a warm Spring day... and stepping in a huge pile of fresh dog poop.
Let's face it; the refusal of many dog owners to remove their pets' waste from
public property does absolutely nothing to improve the general public's opinion
of our canine friends. And the bigger the dog, the more noticeable the offense.
Here are some important facts to consider :
- There are at least 50 million dogs registered in the US, according to the American Kennel Club.
- Dogs produce more than 5,000 tons of waste in the US daily.
- Dog waste frequently releases Toxocara worm eggs into the ground, where the eggs remain for long periods of time. Dr. Mervyn Taylor with the Children's Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, recently found an unexpectedly high 30% of 2000 school children he examined had developed antibodies to the Toxocara worm, suggesting exposure to animal feces or property exposed to dog waste.
- The symptoms of Toxocariasis infection include fatigue, headaches, chest ailments, abdominal pain, and even partial blindness.
- The US Centers for Disease Control has issued Toxocariasis prevention recommendations that include deworming pets and promptly removing and disposing of their waste. The CDC is working closely with the American Veterinarian Association's Parasitic Division to encourage veterinarians to educate pet owners about the risks of disease transmission from dog waste.
The problem with dog waste goes well beyond the inconvenience of having to
scrape it off the bottom of your shoe before you go into your house. There are
real health concerns associated with leaving the stuff lying around.
Dog feces can harbor certain harmful bacteria and parasites and, while rare, it is
possible for these to be transmitted to humans. Especially at risk are small
children (famous for putting everything in their mouths) who come into contact
with contaminated soil or water.
The resulting health problems can range from
mild skin rashes to very serious bacterial infections with symptoms of fever,
nausea, and diarrhea. Flies that accumulate around piles of dog doo also pose a
health risk since they can carry all kinds of disease.
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