There’s nothing more wonderful than taking a walk with your pup on a warm, sunny day. But nothing puts a damper on that more than seeing another dog’s waste where it doesn't belong. . In most cities across the United States, it’s against city code to leave your pet’s creation for all to see. It’s also not very neighborly to stick that work of art in your neighbor’s trash can. But, there are many other reasons why not picking up after your dog is bad for everyone. Dog waste is dangerous to you, your pets and the environment.
Reason 1: Poisonous to grass and lawns
Many people think dog waste is an effective fertilizer. That’s wrong. Cow manure is an effective fertilizer, but dog feces is not. Cows are herbivores and their manure is broken-down plant matter.
A dog's diet is a terrible fertilizer. It’s toxic to plants, full of acid and will kill your grass. It’s even poisonous to plants. Using your pup’s feces in your garden as fertilizer will contaminate your harvest with harmful bacteria.
Reason 2: Worms
Your dog’s waste can carry worms. If your dog visits the park and eats worm infected feces (yuck! why do they do that??), your pup is susceptible to:
Salmonella
Leptospira
E. coli
Parvovirus
Roundworms
Reason 3: Dog waste contaminates water
When rain washes over dog waste and flows into the drainage system, the contaminated water is then carried into local waterways. If you like hanging out at nearby rivers or lakes, this means the fecal water is mixed in where you enjoy swimming and boating! Ewww....
Two or three days worth of un-picked up waste from 100 dogs can cause a major spike in bacteria levels that will mandate the closing of waterways, lakes, and streams for swimming and fishing. Studies have shown that 20 to 30 percent of the bacteria in water samples from urban watersheds come from dog waste.
The Solution
American dogs create more than ten million tons of feces every year. Your only solution is to make sure you always pick up after your pup.
Joyce Smythe, the creator of Goin’ In Style, created her dog walker organizer bag to give pet parents and professional dog walker a place to stash the used waste bag when their pup has to go. Whether you’re on an urban street or a suburban sidewalk, there’s no reason to leave the mess for everyone to see.
The bag features a vinyl-lined zipper compartment for the used waste bag and also comes with a charcoal sachet to absorb odors. On the outside of the bag, there are specially designed pockets for keys, your cell phone and most importantly — a roll of clean doggie waste bags.
Goin’ in Style is where fashion meets function, and we're also about being a good steward of the environment and making sure all dog waste goes where it should.