According to an APPA 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, 63% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.1 millions homes in the United States that have at least one dog living in their homes. In 2008, it was estimated that 74.8 million dogs walked through our city parks and streets, state parks, and beaches in the United States. From this total, 45-50% were considered large breed dogs weighing over 40 pounds. Next consider the fact that 40% of dog owners do not pick up after their pets. Most pet owner's feel that this is not a big deal and that the waste will eventually go away. Dog waste does not just disappear. It can end up in our lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans from storm water runoff. Pet wastes can cause a public nuisance, and also impair our watersheds.

Collectively 3-4 billion pounds of dog waste are produced annually in the United States. This is enough material to cover at least 800 football fields with a one foot layer. Now imagine 40% of that total ending up in our waters that we use for recreation and for drinking water. The problem with dog feces is that it contains E.Coli, fecal coliform, Salmonella, and Giardia which pose health threats to humans and other creatures. One particular study found that a single gram of dog waste contained 23 million fecal coliform bacteria. The other problem is that tapeworms and roundworms can also be introduced to the environment and can be picked up by other dogs or children playing in the vicinity.

There needs to be an increase in local awareness of this waste management issue. Many communities have established "Nuisance Animal Laws" designed to ensure that pet waste is properly managed. Join with the Tippecanoe County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in helping educate people and creating awareness for better stewardship of our community’s soil, water, and related natural resources.

Want to help? Here are some things that pet owners can do to eliminate the burden of pet waste:

1. Make sure to keep heavily used yard areas free of animal waste daily and dispose of all collected waste properly.
2. Provide vegetated grass or flower buffers around yard storm drain or drainageways that trap and filter water runoff polluted by waste.
3. Make sure that cat litter is bagged and disposed of properly.
4. Always carry a bag and scooper at all times when walking pets in a neighborhood or park.
5. Give animals baths away from streets and storm drains. The chemicals and soap could also reach a water body.
6. Choose to feed pets more organic or natural animal food.
7. Urge communities to establish dog walking yards and install trash cans with a plastic bag station.
8. Set a good example for everyone in the community!

For more information on how you can help the environment, please feel free to contact the SWCD at 765-474-9992 or visit our website at www.tippecanoecountyswcd.org.