SCOOBY-DOO NEEDS A POOPER-SCOOPER

Pet owners please take notice: STOP POLLUTING OUR WATERWAYS!

One of the most serious deterrents to clean water in the Bayshore region and along the Jersey Shore is from high fecal coliform levels that originate from pet waste. For whatever reason, some pet owners (primarily dog holders, but cats and other animals too) fail to take responsibility to clean up after their animals.

Instead, certain pet owners (you know who you are!) leave the filthy stuff on the ground, beaches, sidewalks, or along nature trails for the poop to decay and to cause pollution or human health problems.

One of the worst incidents is when pet owners let their animals go to the bathroom right in bay waters or a stream. It is a gross and an appalling aspect of our society that needs to be taken seriously for it to end.

It is not magic that makes the pet poop disappear on the ground, but rain or melting snow. When a storm occurs the discarded stuff is washed away into nearby waters to pollute our environment.

When pet waste enters our waterways, it decays and releases toxic chemical compounds, such as ammonia that can kill fish. Pet waste also contains nutrients to foster the algae growth. As the plants die and decay, this process contributes to the rise of bacteria, which causes low oxygen levels to occur in our waters that at best will lower species biodiversity and at worst will kill animals.

Neglected pet waste also makes local waterways look dirty, degraded, and unattractive for fishing, swimming, and nature observation. It fosters a perception that a community is neglecting important natural resources.

Scientists from the US Geological Survey estimate that pet waste contributes between 20 to 30 percent of water pollution in America. Studies in Washington DC have determined that 12,000 dogs living in the city produce more than 5,000 pounds of solid waste per day. In New Jersey, the Department of Health estimates that there are over 500,000 dogs in the state. If you include cats and other pets, this is an enormous amount of solid waste being produced daily in New Jersey.

A study by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association informs us that 68 million American people own a dog. Regrettably, approximately 40% of these people say they do not pick up after their dog’s scat, either because they feel the waste will eventually just go away or it is too much of a hassle for them to pick up.

Yet, it is to the benefit for human health that pet waste is disposed of correctly. Improperly disposed pet waste carries diseases that can cause humans to get sick. Apparently, your chances of getting sick from pet waste are easier than you think.

Anyone who plays outside, works outdoors, hikes, swims at public beaches or at pools, or just likes to take a walk around the block can be at risk for infection from the bacteria or parasites detected in pet waste. Indeed, just a single ounce of dog scat contains about 23 million microorganisms of bacteria, which is enough to cause sickness in humans.

Perhaps that wasn’t a simple cold you were suffering from last week, but an illness caused from pet waste bacteria. The germs carried by your pet can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, dehydration, fever, or a cough. In some cases, parasites in pet waste can even cause vision loss or birth defects if a pregnant woman becomes infected.

Fortunately, the solution to this problem is easy. Take a bag or a pooper-scooper and pick up the waste from your pet. This is simple, right?

Once you have the waste, flush it down the toilet, so it can be disposed of properly in a septic system or public sewage treatment plant.

Discarded pet waste is such a critical problem in America that the US EPA under the federal Clean Water Act is urging all towns to improve their stormwater management plans and prohibit dog waste from entering local waterways. Atlantic Highlands has also enacted a pooper-scooper law requiring pet owners to clean up after their animal.

So, tell your family, friends, and your neighbors that dog waste is a serious problem to clean water, and that pet owners need to take responsibility for their animal’s actions. Clean up pet waste and properly dispose of it.