So, my owner wanted me to blog about something that he’s noticed in our travels throughout Fairfield County dog parks… the trend of some humans to nicely pick up after their dog has pooped, but to bag it and leave it on a trail or by a tree for someone else to pick up.
Why would you go to the trouble of bagging the poop with a non-biodegradable bag but then leave it out on the ground where it will not decompose for at least another 50 to 1000 years?! It would actually be better if you let the poop stay out in the open so that it can disintegrate the next time a heavy rains comes.
We’ve noticed that the trend seems to take place more often on open trails where waste bins are few and far between. We get it. It literally stinks to drag your dog’s solid waste any amount of time, so it’s easier just to drop it on the trail. Why not skip the step of bagging it? If you’re on a trail, just use a long stick or branch to sweep your dog’s poop into the underbrush and give the planet a break!
For dog-friendly areas that are more frequently traveled, we understand that you look like a bad dog-owner citizen if you let your dog openly defecate in an area without doing anything about it. So you bag it… but don’t people get just as mad at you if you drop it someplace nearby instead of putting it in a trash can? Take a few extra steps and find a waste bin!
Some of you may be saying, “Dusty Blue, what difference does it make if you bag your dog’s poop in a non-biodegradable bag and then throw it in a trash can with other non-biodegradable bags? They’re destined to go to a landfill where nothing breaks down for a 1000 years!” To you we say, be a conscientious citizen of this planet and look for the biodegradable bags at your pet store. Currently, there are no makers of bags who can legally say their product breaks down in the one-year time span U.S. laws requires, but here is a bag maker that uses special ingredients to help their bags break down within a few years…
Earth Rated 60-Count Dog Waste Bags, Unscented Vegetable-Based Poop Bags, 4 Refill Rolls
So, the next time you get the urge to bag it and leave it, please don’t. Just skip the bagging step and leave it. We promise we won’t yell or bark at you!