Only herbivores like cows produce fertilizer or manure

Who Gives a Poop?

We Texans in general are misinformed on the subject of dog poop. When I mentioned to a Texas native that my wife and I owned a dog waste clean up company in Dallas, she thought it was a great idea. Then she told me a story about the time she was walking her dog over at a school and someone told her to get the dog off the school grounds. The school defender told my friend that her dog was a "filthy animal" and shouldn't be allowed to poop on school grounds because children play there.

Sgt. Poopers badge emphasizes our role in conservationMy friend was incensed. Not knowing agricultural science, she told me, "I mean, dog poop is just fertilizer. When it's from a cow we put it on plants to make them grow." She didn't see anything wrong with letting her dog poop on school grounds where children play. It's a sad case of misinformation.

"Not knowing agricultural science, she told me, 'I mean, dog poop is just fertilizer. When it's from a cow we put it on plants to make them grow."'

The real truth of the matter is surprising to us non-farmers.

Fertilizer comes only from herbivores, like horses, cows, sheep and goats. The rule is "Plants in = Plants out." Manure from cows is good for grass because it IS grass.  While with carnivores, the rule is "Animals in = Animals out." Fecal organisms in dog waste can be absorbed by plants. Humans who eat those plants can become sick.

Farmers themselves never allow dog poop to contaminate crops. According to the FDA, it must not be used as "fertilizer."  Dog waste has no commercial nor agricultural value because it is loaded with toxic pathogens.

So, while I do not agree that man's best friend is a "filthy animal," dog waste IS a genuine health hazard and the lists of diseases that can be transferred to humans by dog waste is long.

The problem isn't dogs. The problem is misinformation.

Tags: dog waste removal, pooper scooping, Sgt Poopers, Dallas, Texas, Soil Pollution, Biohazard

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