Pick it up, take it home.
Dog poo – the least fun part of owning a furry friend but definitely part of the job description. As a society, we’re getting better at picking up the poo but it’s what happens next that is causing a bigger problem. Even that posh bloke, Mike McGoldrick is aware of the problem:
https://www.facebook.com/WalkNorthernIreland/videos/176148917722329/
The Four Common Situations When Walking Your Dog
Lets set the scene: you’re out for a lovely walk, the sun is shining and you’re having a great day. Your dog gives you a friendly woof to let you know she’s gotta go. Good girl.
Situation #1: You bag the poop and bring it home. There is no dog poo anywhere on your walk. You can continue enjoying the views and generally having a lovely time.
Situation #2: Someone else’s dog poo is on the ground. Of course, you’re too busy enjoying the views and next thing you know, you’ve stepped in it. Your favourite shoes are now ruined and you can’t shift the smell. Disgusting. (You also have to do that awkward one footed shimmy to scrape it off, covering more of the ground nearby. It won’t work of course; the smell will follow you to your car where it’ll linger for the next three weeks.)
Situation #3: Someone has decided that Christmas should be a year-round celebrated holiday and has decided to hang some decorative bags of dog poo on the trees. Stick to the fairy lights people, at least if they fall off the branches it doesn’t ruin someone’s day by covering them in poo.
Situation #4: The walk has been successful, but when you get to the bins they haven’t been emptied yet. There are bags of dog poo on top of, falling out of, and scattered around the bottom of the bin just waiting for a child to lift or someone to run through them. Many of the people that left these think “someone else can lift that, I’ve done the hard part”.
Only one of those options is the answer. How to achieve it? Pick up your dog poo and bag it. Hold on to it until you get home or until there is a bin that isn’t overflowing. That way it’s guaranteed to go in the bin.
Our dogs – our responsibility
As dog owners ourselves, we know the protests to this – “The bins should be emptied more often”, “We need more bins”, “Dogs should be trained to poo at home” But the truth is, our dogs’ poo is our responsibility, and the easiest (and most environmentally friendly) solution is to take it home and bin it there. Many councils and public areas are having to operate on reduced staff because of the pandemic, whilst also seeing significant increases in footfall. Increased bin collections therefore just aren’t possible.
Dog poo can blind children
Dog poo can be dangerous and not just to the soles of your shoes. Did you know that dog poo can take up to 12 months to fully break down? Even if it rains, it’s simply washing the bacteria into the water systems.
Dogs can sometimes be carrying bacteria left behind when they poo. These bacteria can remain in the soil for years and is most dangerous to children who may be playing close to it. It can also harm other animals.
Dog poo doesn’t work as a fertilizer. Due to high protein diets, it won’t break down the same way as other plant based diet animals like cows or sheep.
With all this in mind, please help us spread the message. Bring your dog poo home, or bin it if you find a suitable bin.
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