The healthiest and most environmentally friendly way to dispose of pet waste is to scoop it, bag it, and place it in the trash. Landfills have been identified by Puget Sound counties as the best method by which to deal with bagged pet waste.
Pet may contain pathogens that harm children, adults and animals, degrade water quality, and contaminate streams, lakes, shellfish and marine waters.
PET WASTE FAQS:
Why is pet waste hazardous?
Pet waste is raw sewage and it should be treated as such. When it rains, pathogens travel across lawns, sidewalks and streets into storm drains and eventually into Puget Sound.
Pet waste may contain a variety of pathogens, including (but not limited to) E. coli, Salmonella, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Leptospira, Toxoplasmosis and roundworms. These pathogens are transported through runoff and surface waters into streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries within Puget Sound. Once in the waters, they pose risks to humans through contaminated fish and shellfish, skin contact and ingestion of water.
These pathogens may persist in feces, soil or water for weeks to months, and in some cases, even years. For more information about these pathogens, check out Snohomish County’s pet waste page here.
Can I flush my pet waste?
That depends. If your toilets are on a sewer, this may be a great option. However, check to see if your county has specific recommendations (see links below). Thurston County, for example, requests that pet wastes not be flushed even if you’re on a sewer!
If you are on a septic system, flushing is not advisable. Dog waste often contains different materials than human wastes (eg., hair and ash) and they may not break down in a septic system. Pet wastes may overload your septic system, requiring more maintenance than would be otherwise necessary.
Do not flush kitty litter. Kitty litter forms aggregated clumps that can clog your toilet and your septic system, doo’ing more damage than good. The best course of action for kitty litter is to bag it and place it in the trash!
Can I compost my pet waste?
Not in your ordinary compost pile. Compost piles don't usually get hot enough to kill the pathogens in pet wastes. There are, however, special pet composting kits that can be purchased online or at your local pet store. Make sure you follow the directions thoroughly and only use this compost in ornamental gardens.
How much waste do pets REALLY generate?
Sure, the answer varies by the size of your dog, but the average dog generates 1/3 of a pound of solid waste per day. On average, most counties that drain into Puget Sound have at least 10,000 dogs, that’s nearly TWO TONS of solid dog waste generated EVERY DAY!
I don’t live near the water. Is my pet waste still a problem?
While you may not envision pet waste itself traveling long distances, the pathogens associated with pet waste can be transported long distances across soils and lawns and through gutters, storm drains and roads until they eventually reach urban streams, rivers and marine waters.
Furthermore, some of these pathogens can survive and even thrive in moist soils and leaf piles (Oliveri et al. 1977). Residential lawns have been shown to contain high levels of urban bacterial contamination from pet waste and these features often drain to driveways, gutters and eventually, to storm drains (Steuer et al., 1997; Bannerman et al., 1993).
Genetic studies of urban Puget Sound watersheds have shown that as much as 95% of fecal coliform bacteria in urban stormwater were of nonhuman origin, primarily dogs and cats (Alderiso et al. 1996; Trial et al. 1993).
Additional studies of less developed Washington watersheds have shown similar results – that a primary source of bacterial contamination was that from dogs and hobby farm livestock (Samadpour and Checkowitz 1998).
Are pathogens the only problem with pet wastes?
Nope. Animal wastes are high in nutrients (which is why manure is used for fertilizer) and while some nutrients are good for a system, too many nutrients can be harmful. “The nitrogen in pet waste is like a vitamin. People need vitamins to live, but too much of some vitamins can be toxic. Likewise, streams need nitrogen but too much can cause severe problems.” (Dave Ward, Snonohomish County Surface Water Management)
But my neighbors have chickens and horses and cows. Don’t those pose a bigger risk than my dog?
These animal wastes certainly contribute to contamination of our environment when they are not properly managed and you can learn more about these wastes here. However, the waste from animals whose diet includes meat (like cats and dogs) tend to be more pathogenic than the wastes from grass and grain eaters (like most livestock). This is why you can compost livestock waste but not the waste from your dogs and cats.
Wastes from all animals pose a major threat to a health Puget Sound and should be taken seriously.
Are there specific recommendations for my county?
Probably. Below are web links to different Puget Sound county pet waste programs. If you don’t see your county here, do a little searching online – your county probably has a pet waste program.
Island County
Jefferson County
Kitsap County
King County
Mason County
Pierce County
San Juan County
Skagit County
Snohomish County
Thurston County
Whatcom County
Thanks to Dave Ward at Snohomish County Surface Water Management for lots of the great information on this site and for putting together these great posters. Check out more posters here.
Resources
Puget Sound Starts Here
Garland, D. Focus: Bacterial contamination in the Issaquah Creek Basin. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/watershed/index.html#nwro
Samadpour, M. and N. Checkowitz, 1998. Little Soos Creek microbial source tracking. Washington Water Resource, Spring, 1998. University of Washington Urban Water Resources Center.
Trial, W., et al., 1993. Bacterial source tracking: studies in an urban Seattle watershed. Puget Sound Notes. 30:1-3.
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