Dog poop is not fertilizer, and it does not wash away. It is a source of bacteria, parasites, and excess nutrients that ends up in streams, lakes, and beaches every time it rains. The US Environmental Protection Agency lists pet waste as a pollutant in the same group as oil, pesticides, and fertilizer runoff.
The fix is not complicated. Pick it up, every time, and put it in the trash. Here is why that matters more than most people think.
What is in dog poop
A single gram of dog poop can hold millions of fecal coliform bacteria. Along with them come things that make people and other animals sick:
- E. coli and Salmonella
- Roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm eggs
- Giardia and Cryptosporidium
- Parvovirus, which is deadly to unvaccinated puppies
Roundworm eggs are the nasty one. They can survive in soil for years, and children who play in that soil can pick them up. The CDC lists roundworm from dogs and cats as one of five parasitic infections it treats as a US public health priority.
How it gets into the water
Rain hits the poop, and the bacteria and nutrients in it run off the grass into the street, then into a storm drain. In most towns, storm drains do not go to a treatment plant. They empty straight into the nearest creek, river, or bay.
Two things happen downstream.
- The bacteria count spikes. That is one reason beaches and swimming holes get closed after storms.
- The nitrogen and phosphorus in the poop feed algae. Algae blooms use up the oxygen in the water, kill fish, and can make the water unsafe for people and pets.
Related: How to dispose of dog poop: myths and facts
Why dog poop is not fertilizer
Cow and horse manure works in a garden because those animals eat grass, and the manure is aged or heat-treated before it goes on a field. Dog poop is different on both counts.
Dogs eat a meat-based diet, so their poop is high in protein and acidic. Left on a lawn it burns the grass and leaves brown patches. And it carries the parasites listed above, which can pass to humans. Raw dog poop on a vegetable bed is a health hazard, not a soil booster.
That is also why "just leave it in the woods, animals poop there too" does not hold up. Wild animals eat what the woods provide. Your dog eats kibble from a bag, and his poop adds nutrients and bacteria the local soil and streams were never set up to handle.
What to do about it
Pick it up every single time
On a walk, in the park, and in your own yard. Yard poop matters as much as sidewalk poop, because your lawn drains to the same storm drain. Do a sweep at least once a week, more often with several dogs. If the smell has already set in, here is how to get rid of dog poop smell in the yard.
Bag it, tie it, trash it
Household trash is the method utilities and health departments recommend. The bag only has to do one job well: get the poop to the bin without a leak or a split.
Do not flush it
Wastewater plants were built for human waste, and sewer overflows during storms dump untreated sewage into the same waterways you are trying to protect. Never flush it if you are on septic. Details here: Should I flush dog poop?
Compost it only in a dedicated pet-waste composter
Home composting works, but only in a system set up for pet waste and kept separate from your garden compost. The pathogens above survive a normal cool backyard pile. Use the finished compost on non-food plants only, and do not put dog poop in your city's green bin. Municipal composting programs in the US generally do not accept it. The full method is in our composting guide.
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FAQ
What is the problem with dog poop?
It carries bacteria, parasites, and nutrients that wash into waterways when it rains. The EPA classes it as a pollutant. It also spreads parasites to other dogs and to people, especially kids.
What happens if I do not pick up dog poop?
It does not dissolve. Rain washes the germs off it into storm drains for weeks while the solid part sits there. In your yard, roundworm eggs build up in the soil and stay for years.
Is dog poop good fertilizer?
No. It is acidic, too high in nitrogen, and full of pathogens that survive in soil. Keep it off vegetable beds entirely.
Can I compost dog poop?
Only in a dedicated pet-waste composter, never in the pile you use for the garden, and never on plants you eat.
How much does one dog matter?
There are roughly 90 million pet dogs in the US. If each one skips one pickup a week, that is millions of pounds of bacteria-loaded waste left on the ground every week. Your one bag is the fix at your end of that math.
