Where does your dog poo go?

Pet owners everywhere have a dilemma. What to do with dog poo?
Most people here have a 'novel' (albeit, selfish) way of solving this problem - they just let the dogs out to do their 'business' in the evening. So no poo in their yard but poo all over the neighbourhood! Unfortunately, this contributes to the reason why many people dislike dogs (but the ones they should be angry with are their owners!).

This May, there will be a happy, new addition to our family. TWO, in fact. Two lovely souls. Two big, vivacious, loving beings. But along with this comes responsibility.

So I did a search for "Pet Waste Management" gave me some insights of the problem & the solution, which I hope dog owners who consider themselves responsible dog owners will follow suit.

There's even a possibility of making a business out of it :) http://home-based-businesses.suite101.com/article.cfm/pet_waste_management


What To Do With Doggy Poo
Guide to Responsible Disposal of Dog Waste

Bagging It Up ?
The environmental blight of dog poo is only worsened when it is bagged into plastic, another non-degradable environmental scourge. Consequently it all spends years in landfill as a smelly breeding ground for bacteria and disease, which eventually leaches into the water system.

Give It Away ?
Dog poo collection services are available to clear your yard of little parcels, and pick up pre-bagged waste. Be sure to enquire into their disposal method as having someone else deliver your dog waste to landfill may be more palatable than binning it yourself, but it is no less harmful.

Enzyme Digestion !
The extent of this problem has led scientific entrepreneurs such as Doggie Doo.Com to invent dog poo digestion units which are buried in a corner of the yard. The dog poo is then placed into the unit and soaked in a ‘natural’ enzyme solution. This in turn digests the waste leaving an odorless, harmless residue to soak into the soil below. The exact content of such solutions remain commercial secrets but the premise appears plausible.

Worm Farm Compost !
The most comprehensive, environmentally-friendly and cheapest solution to the puppy poop problem appears to be the humble worm farm. Composting worms are housed in a simple box and are fed on lawn clippings, dog hair, kitchen scraps, and of course dog poo. The worms remove any odor and convert this organic waste into worm castings; a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer.

Read more at Suite101: http://dogs.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_to_do_with_doggy_poo#ixzz0m1rsDeRc


How to Build Your Own Pet Waste Composter
An Odour Free Way to Keep Your Dog’s Poop Out of Landfills
Nov 10, 2008 Naomi Szeben
http://reducing-waste.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_build_your_own_pet_waste_composter

Eco-friendly poop disposal poses a problem for many pet owners; keeping potential fertilizer out of landfills and put to better use as compost might be the answer.

There are TWO ways to get rid of your pet waste: Throwing it in the garbage, where it will go to a landfill, or using it as compost in your yard – buried well away from edible food crops. The latter method is recommended for people who have regular access to a garden or yard, and want to reduce their carbon footprint.

HOW TO BUILD A PET WASTE COMPOSTER
Making a backyard pet composter has the added advantage of greening your soil without spreading disease or stink throughout your neighbourhood.

1. Choose a site well away from vegetable gardens and water sources like streams or wells. A site in full sunlight is ideal; it will help with the biodegrading process.


2. Get a strong plastic bin or tub that holds at least 8 liters. Cut a hold in the bottom for drainage.


3. Dig a hole that is 5 cm wider than your bin, and 5 to 10 cm deeper than your bin: This will be for the gravel filling.


4. Place the gravel below the bin, and put your bin on top of it. Pour gravel around the bin, so that there will be drainage around the bin as well.


5. Clean up around the area, by planting ornamental shrubs or flowers, replacing topsoil where some was removed during the digging phase.


6. Add your dog’s poop, or your cat’s clay free/silica-free used cat litter and add septic starter.


7. Put the lid on your composter. This will prevent flies or rodents from getting in.

Step-by-step photoguide to making a dog waste composter in your backyard http://homepage.mac.com/cityfarmer/PhotoAlbum22.html

HOW TO TRENCH YOUR PETS' WASTE
For those without the needed space for a pet waste compost bin, another option may be “Trenching”, simply burying pet waste in soil with some septic starter, such as Septonic®.

1. Dig a hole or trench in your garden 45-60cm (18-24") deep and as wide and long as is practical – a shovel’s width is usually fine. Pile the soil up beside your trench.


2. Fill the bottom 15 cm (6") of your trench with your nutrient-rich food waste and organic materials, and fill in the hole with the excavated soil. Make sure the materials are quite moist before you bury them.


3. Top with a layer of organic mulch material (i.e. leaves or straw). Alternatively, you can also sow a cover crop to protect the soil from the elements and suppress weeds in the time it takes for the trenched materials to decompose.

http://www.compost.bc.ca/learn/factsheets/5trenching.pdf

Why should we go to all that trouble to remove dog poo, you ask?
Scientists have discovered that dog poop is a major cause of water pollution, and that such pollution poses a significant hazard to human health. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says pet waste is a significant cause of water body contamination in areas where there are high concentrations of dogs.

Canine waste contains lots of nasty bacteria with almost unpronounceable names: fecal streptococcus and fecal coliforms are just two examples. In sufficiently high amounts, these bacteria can make people sick — sometimes very sick. For example, E. coli bacteria often causes gastrointestinal infections, as well as infections to the ear, eye, and throat. Another bacteria, campylobacter, can cause diarrhea in humans. Still another form of poop-loving bacteria, salmonella, can cause infections that trigger fever, muscle aches, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Dog waste also contains other not-so-lovely disease-transmitting organisms such as roundworms. These parasites can cause their human victims to lose their vision temporarily, as well as trigger coughs and fevers.

Never thought your dog's doo could do so much damage, did you?

Read more: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-to-do-with-doggy-doo.html#ixzz0m1ma9gHv