Protect our waters and The American Dream City by pledging to Doo the Right Thing. Owners who pledge to pick up after their dogs have the chance to enter them in the 2016 Calendar Photo Contest. That means your dog could be featured in next year's calendar!
Why should you pledge?
- Besides being messy-and super-gross when it ends up on the bottom of your shoe-dog waste is a health risk. Pets, kids playing outside, and adults who garden are most at risk for infection from the bacteria and parasites found in dog waste.
- Dog waste affects our water quality, harboring bacteria such as salmonella, giardia, and E. coli. One gram of dog waste can contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria. When dog owners don't pick up after their pets, rain or sprinkler runoff can wash the waste into storm drains, where the water runs directly into creeks, streams, rivers, and lakes without being treated or cleaned. (Studies in the Seattle area showed that nearly 20% of bacteria in water samples matched with dogs as the host animals.) And when the waste decays in water, it uses up dissolved oxygen and releases nutrients that causes algae growth, harming fish and other aquatic life.
- An estimated 1.5 million dogs live in the North Central Texas region, producing more than 500 tons of waste each day. While one pile of dog poop may not seem like a big deal, many piles can add up to a substantial problem. It's up to the entire region to be part of the solution-and your personal commitment makes a huge difference.
So take this opportunity to pledge to Doo the Right Thing and pick up your dog's waste. Properly dispose of the waste by flushing it, burying it (making sure you're not by a water source or vegetable garden), or tossing the bagged waste in a trash can.
Visit www.dfwstormwater.com/petwaste to learn more about the impacts of dog waste, take the pledge, and submit your dog's photo. People who have pledged in prior years are welcome to take the pledge again. The contest ends July 15, 2015.
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