As responsible pet owners and park visitors, it’s crucial to clean up after our furry companions. While phrases like “stoop and scoop” have echoed through parks for years, some may wonder: why the fuss about dog waste when wildlife scat seems to go unnoticed?
Well, the truth is, not all scat is created equal.
Wild animals typically consume food within their ecosystems, resulting in waste that supports the natural balance of nutrients. This waste plays a vital role in dispersing native plant seeds and contributing to ecosystem health. Once digested, the nutrients are returned to the environment, aiding in the ecosystem’s health. Their waste is produced in manageable amounts over very large areas, allowing ecosystem decomposers to continue the natural cycles effectively.
On the other hand, dogs fed store-bought diets produce waste high in nitrogen and phosphorus, posing potential problems for ecosystems. Dog waste left in parks can lead to excessive nutrient levels, promoting the growth of invasive plant species and threatening biodiversity.
In 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency categorized pet waste as a nonpoint source pollutant, joining other pollutants like herbicides and toxic chemicals. Nonpoint pollution refers to pollution from various dispersed sources, such as waste left in the afforestation areas. During rainstorms, this waste washes into waterways, eventually reaching our drinking water source such as the South Saskatchewan River, lakes, streams, and oceans. The afforestation areas do not have storm drains to treatment facilities, allowing pollutants like pet waste to directly impact marine environments- the wetlands draining directly into the river through the West Swale.
Beyond environmental concerns, dog waste also poses health risks to humans, wildlife, and other dogs. It can contain harmful bacteria, parasites, and viruses like E. coli, Giardia, Salmonella, and roundworms, which can persist in the soil for years and infect wildlife.
Unlike wild animals, which disperse their waste over large areas, pet owners in urban areas often frequent the same places, resulting in concentrated waste. Imagine thousands of dogs each producing 0.5 to 0.75 pounds of waste daily, the impact is substantial. A gram of dog waste contains about 23 million coliform bacteria, twice that of human waste. It’s estimated that only 60% of dog owners consistently clean up after their pets, leaving significant amounts of waste and pathogens. In just a few days, waste from 100 dogs can contaminate waterways, i.e. the West Swale Wetlands – a swale (low lying area) which drains directly into the South Saskatchewan River Basin, polluting our drinking water in the South Saskatchewan River.
Pet waste is a major contributor to water pollution, with bacteria tracing back to animal sources, particularly dogs. Additionally, it contains excess nutrients, contributing to poisonous and deadly algal blooms and aquatic plant growth, which deplete oxygen vital for our waterfowl species at risk on the Chappell Marsh wetlands and all animal life using the wetlands.
Dog waste doesn’t just stay on the ground—it can also become airborne. Studies conducted in four Midwestern cities, particularly in Cleveland and Detroit during the winter, found high levels of fecal bacteria from dog waste in the atmosphere. Researchers believe that the increase in bacteria from dog feces may be due to a decrease in other bacteria from soil, dust, leaves, and water surfaces as snow covers the ground and leaves drop during the winter months.
But fear not, there’s a simple solution!
When visiting parks with your pet, be sure to pick up their waste promptly. Proper disposal is key—dog waste should be placed in designated receptacles or taken home for disposal. Remember, hanging waste in trees or leaving it on trails is not acceptable.
By scooping the poop, we’re not only keeping our parks clean and safe for everyone, but we’re also protecting water quality and promoting a healthier environment. So, let’s all do our part to ensure our parks remain beautiful and biodiverse spaces for generations to come!
Let us all practice for Scoop the Poop Week!
Here is information about the dog parks from the City of Saskatoon and reference to Saskatoon bylaw 8760 as well
Don’t take our word for it! Check out the Bibliography:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Pet Care Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/files/Pet%20Care%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
- University of Washington School of Marine & Environmental Affairs. (n.d.). Scoop the Poop: It’s Your Environmental Doody (Pun Intended). Retrieved from https://smea.uw.edu/currents/scoop-the-poop-its-your-environmental-doody-pun-intended/
- Ecological Landscape Alliance. (n.d.). The Scoop on Dog Waste. Retrieved from https://www.ecolandscaping.org/03/developing-healthy-landscapes/ecological-landscaping-101/the-scoop-on-dog-waste/
- David Suzuki Foundation. (n.d.). Is Your Pet Care Planet-Friendly? Retrieved from https://davidsuzuki.org/living-green/is-your-pet-care-planet-friendly/
- Earthwise Aware. (n.d.). Dogs: The Scoop on Poop. Retrieved from https://www.earthwiseaware.org/dogs-the-scoop-on-poop/
#ScoopThePoop #ResponsiblePetOwnership #CleanParks #ProtectOurEnvironment 🐾🌳
For directions as to how to drive to “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park
For directions on how to drive to Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
For more information:
NEW P4G District Official Community Plan
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada north of Cedar Villa Road, within city limits, in the furthest south west area of the city. 52° 06′ 106° 45′
Addresses:
Part SE 23-36-6 – Afforestation Area – 241 Township Road 362-A
Part SE 23-36-6 – SW Off-Leash Recreation Area (Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area ) – 355 Township Road 362-A
S ½ 22-36-6 Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area (West of SW OLRA) – 467 Township Road 362-A
NE 21-36-6 “George Genereux” Afforestation Area – 133 Range Road 3063
Wikimapia Map: type in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Google Maps South West Off Leash area location pin at parking lot
Web page: https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com
Where is the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area? with map
Where is the George Genereux Urban Regional Park (Afforestation Area)?with map
Blogger: FriendsAfforestation
Tumblr friendsafforestation.tumblr.comFacebook Group Page: Users of the George Genereux Urban Regional Park
Facebook: StBarbeBaker Afforestation Area
Facebook for the non profit Charity Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. FriendsAreas
Facebook group page : Users of the St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Twitter: St Barbe Baker Charity Twitter:FriendsAreas
Please help protect / enhance your afforestation areas, please contact the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. (e-mail / e-transfers )
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United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
- Use the UN Decade’s Visual Identity
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““Be like a tree in pursuit of your cause. Stand firm, grip hard, thrust upward. Bend to the winds of heaven..”
Richard St. Barbe Baker
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. George Genereux Urban Regional Park. 