Dog Waste is bad for the environment

Dogs don’t use toilets

Dog feces contain the same bacteria that human waste contains. Humans use toilets and have sewers and sewage treatment plants to protect the environment and drinking water.

But when we don’t pick up after our dogs we are depositing sewage on the fields where we play, trails where we walk, and beaches where we swim.

Non-Point Source Pollution

Feces deposited in yards, fields and trails runs off into streams, rivers and even into groundwater. This negatively affects water quality.

Dog waste is estimated to cause between 20-30 % of stream pollution.

Dog Waste contains nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients promote algae growth in lakes, ponds, and streams. This limits light available to aquatic plants. As the algae decays it uses up oxygen that is needed by fish.

Runoff containing dog waste also causes bacteria levels to rise in waterways and can make beaches unsafe for swimming.

How much poop is there?

 An estimated 1.25 million lbs/year in Whistler

The very large number of dogs that live in Whistler creates an unnatural volume of waste that the environment cannot handle.

The large quantity of nutrients in dog poop can "burn out" grass plants by overfeeding them, creating a spotty "minefield" look in yards where poop isn't scooped. Dog waste is NOT fertilizer.

How does the poop get into the streams?

Rainwater and melt-off washes poop into storm drains which eventually empty out into our streams. Even poop deposited far from a stream can still end up in our waterways. Feces may also be carried by overland flow.

What is in Dog Waste?

 Some Common Diseases:

Roundworm

Giardia

Campylobacter

Leptospira

Tapeworm

Cryptosporidium

E. Coli

Fecal Coliforms

Dog Waste is a Public Health Issue

Each of those listed above is a disease that humans can get!

Us adults may not roll in the fields, roll on the grass with our dogs, or touch the dog’s toys and then our mouths because we understand how diseases are spread.

Young children are not so careful.

If a child touches an object that has been in contact with dog feces and then touches their hand to their mouth, they could become infected with a disease.

Roundworm larva, if ingested by a human, can migrate throughout the body to organs such as the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, heart, or eyes. Roundworm larva can cause blindness.

Reasons to Scoop the Poop: 

1.  To Protect local water quality

2.  To Protect our children from disease

3.  To Monitor your dog’s health

4.  To Respect our community and the visitor experience

5.  It’s the law in Whistler to pick up pet waste deposited in a public place.