Don’t Be a Poo-lluter. Pick Up Pet Waste.

Pick up pet waste. Protect lakes, streams, and wetlands.

Your pet’s poop can pollute stormwater. Rain and melting snow flows across yards and trails, collecting in storm drains that lead directly to lakes, streams and wetlands (without being treated!).

Bacteria Problems

A single gram of dog doo can contain 2.3 million fecal coliform bacteria and can spread diseases like Giardia and Salmonella. Bacteria from dog doo accounts for up to 20% of the bacteria in urban waterways.

Nutrient Problems

Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus that are found in dog doo act like a fertilizer in lakes, streams and welands.  They cause algae to grow, which reduces the available oxygen for fish.  The more poop, the bigger the potential problems.  In Minnesota there are over 900,000 dogs that make over 120,000 tons of poop a year.

Pick Up the Poo

You can make a difference by being a responsible pet owner/guardian.  Be a model for others and pick up your dog doo.  Here are 5 tips to keep your pet’s waste out of the water:

• Be prepared; carry poop bags with you.
• Take extra bags so you don’t run out (and you can help someone in need).
• Make sure the bag ends up in a trash can.
• When you hike, never leave a bag on the trail—there’s nobody designated to pick them up!
• Pick it up at home (or hire someone to do it) to keep your yard healthy and to protect lakes, streams and wetlands.

Dog waste has been cited as the 3rd largest contributor of bacterial pollution in urban watersheds.  Keep the poop from washing into storm drains. Pick it up and Let’s Keep Minnesota Water Clean!