Why do we pack out dog poop?
So why do we ACTUALLY have to pick up dog poop when other wild animals are pooping outside all the time?
Our dogs likely aren’t eating natural items or native plants from the ecosystems they leave their waste in. They mostly eat nutrient heavy pet-foods designed to give them a complete and healthy diet.
Unfortunately, these same pet foods result in excess nutrients in our outdoor spaces if pet waste isn’t picked up. In the US, 83 million pet dogs produce 10.6 million tons of poop every year, each pound adding excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus to the environment.
If the waste isn’t disposed of properly, this can create unstable conditions that allow algae blooms to cloud our rivers, lakes, and streams and create an easy habitat for invasive weeds to grow.