When I tell people about our poop scooping services, often the first thing they have to say is, “Why would I pay someone to scoop my dog’s poop? It’s free fertilizer!”
While I totally understand why someone would think this — we buy manure as fertilizer from the hardware store — the truth is that not all poops are created equal.
Dog Poop Hurts Your Lawn
Manure that is used in farming comes from herbivores like cows and horses, whose diets consist of grasses and foraged plants. Their digestive systems break down their diet into a nutrient-rich manure that is low in acidity and nitrogen, and high in essential nutrients like potassium and phosphorous that benefit soil health and fertility. It’s easy for the soil to take in those nutrients without damaging the plants due to high concentrations of nitrogen or high acidity levels.
Dogs, on the other hand, are omnivores that eat a diet of meats, vegetables and commercially enriched ingredients. While the modern dog food diet is optimized to keep your dog healthy, it contains high levels of proteins and fats that don’t enrich the soil. The higher acidity level of dog poop can burn grass, leaving yellow and brown dead spots that indicate a damaged lawn
It Can Impact More Than Lawn Health
In addition to it’s ability to damage the look and health of your lawn, dog poop also contains harmful bacteria and parasites like e. Coli, Salmonella and roundworms that pose a health risk to humans, dogs and other animals.
Those health risks aren’t localized to your yard, though. Dog poop and its hidden pathogens can wash into storm drains and local water sources, potentially polluting the water supply and disrupting sensitive aquatic ecosystems. On a large enough scale, it can contribute to algal blooms and shifts in fish populations.
Make the Healthy Choice for Your Lawn and the Environment
Clean Paws can do the dirty work for you so you can keep your paws clean while we keep your yard and local environment healthy and happy. Our yard sanitizing and deodorizing service can add an extra layer of environmentally friendly protection to keep you and your family safe and enjoying the great outdoors without worry.
