Friday, August 21, 2015

Dog Poop Happens

 
Cartoon drawing of dog pooping
Courtesy of Sooty Paw Paw
 Let’s talk about dog waste, poo, poop, feces, #2, or crap. No matter what you call it, I think that we can all agree that it happens. When you take a trip with your dogs, you will be making pit stops for them. If you are lucky, they will need a bathroom break about the same time you do. Most interstates have easily accessible rest areas. We stopped at several places along our last trip and the majority were clean and had garbage bins out by the grassy areas. It made it simple to toss a used poop bag away. #ThereIsAnEmojiForPoop

   I tell you that before telling about one stop that we made. It has left me shaking my head. This particular exit had one of the first gas station/store combos that we came to after a good stretch of highway. Bentley had let us know that he would appreciate us stopping as soon as possible. We pulled into a crowded parking lot and were happy to see a large area for the boys to do their business. That joy was quickly replaced with disgust. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that there were piles of dog poop every few steps. It was so nasty that we searched for an area where we could safely let Bentley and Pierre squat. There is no telling what type of worms or diseases were lying there festering in the summer heat.
Person using Sooty Paw Paw dog bag to pick up poop
It is easy to make a clean scoop with the large Sooty Paw Paw bags.
Things that Make Me Wonder
   There were two thoughts that crossed my mind as we walked around the poop landmines. The first was that this is a stop off the interstate. Most people that stopped were like us and traveling with their pets. Did they not bring poop bags? Who does that? Secondly, why didn’t someone from the store get a shovel and scoop that poop from the front of their business? It is not only gross but a health hazard. This was definitely more than one day's accumulation. I no longer wonder why many businesses don’t allow dogs. The answer was everywhere we stepped.  
   I really don’t think that I should be shocked. One of our local pet stores supplies bags free in their parking lot. There is a garbage receptacle attached to the pole where the bags are hanging. There are also piles of dog poo littering the area. Seriously?! If you cannot bend over and scoop your dog’s poop, then you might want to rethink the whole pet parent thing. It is a responsibility ranked right up there with feeding and proper vet care.
Hand holding Sooty Paw Paw bag that is tied off
These bags are sturdy and leakproof.
   That sounds harsh, but did you know that pet waste is classified as a dangerous pollutant? It can spread parasitic worms, parvovirus, and Salmonella. The EPA rates it as the number 3 cause of water pollution. If left on the ground, flies will consume part of the feces before laying eggs on it. Needless to say, those eggs grow into flies that enter our homes. Yuck!
   There are an estimated 70 – 80 million dogs in American homes. Studies prove 40% of dog owners don’t pick up their dog’s poop. This study also suggests that women are more likely to pick up after their dog than men. That is totally unacceptable. It is also a whole lotta crap! #RealMenPickUpPoop

Diagram showing size of Sooty Paw Paw Poop Bags
Courtesy of Sooty Paw Paw

   I have used a lot of different brands for poop bags. I can honestly tell you that the one we like the best is from Sooty Paw Paw.  They are large (9 x 12”) enough to keep your hands clean and they are extremely sturdy. Once you tie them off, you won’t smell any unpleasant odors. The dispenser has a one-hand easy tear feature. You will never pull out a long roll of bags that you have to try to rewind. It is one bag, one tear, one hand every single time. I was even able to pick up dually poops on one walk.#DoggySeeDoggyDoo Sooty Paw Paw bags are biodegradable and do not have the additional plastic center insert. They are available on Amazon.
Black Sooty Paw Paw Bag tied up and in the green grass
Be a pet parent that your dog will be proud to take on a walk. #ScoopThePoop
   If you are a pet parent and have not been picking up after your dog, please start today. That also means scooping your yard for poop. It is not a fertilizer and the run-off is entering the lakes and rivers in your town. Think about it for a minute. Don’t be “that” dog person. Make sure that the only thing your dog leaves behind are his paw prints and a smile from others.

Disclaimer: Sooty Paw Paw advertises on Barking from the Bayou/mkclinton.com. We only accept paid advertising from companies that we use and trust. The opinions expressed in this article are my own. Sooty Paw Paw is not responsible for the content of this post.

Light Brown Paw Prints

22 comments :

  1. Ok we could really use this! We just booked a vacation for my birthday to a golf resort and these would be great for our trip!

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  2. My motto is...you can nefer haf enuff poop bags!!!!!
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  3. There is nothing that irks me more than owners who don't pick up after their dogs! These bags look great! With 3 large dogs, they would definitely come in handy! ;)

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  4. I always remember stopping at a rest stop in Colorado and was so happy to see they actually had a fenced in dog run - that was until we stepped through the gate and saw piles of poop every where. It made me so mad as there was a trash can and a poop bag dispenser right there by the gate and it was full of bags but people were just to lazy to pick up the poop. I wouldn't let Reilly go in there for fear of what germs he could pick up.

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  5. Hi Y'all!

    If you want to step around the stinky poo at your own home, that's your problem; if you leave your dog's stinky poo in a public area you should receive a fine, a BIG littering fine! If you're a dog reading this, refuse to leave the area until your human cleans up after you! Bark and make a BIG commotion! Humans are very slow to understand. Evidently many don't have the manners and "upbringing" we pooches have.

    Y'all come on by,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

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  6. sounds like some great bags, like the leakproof part!

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  7. It's a necessary thing. Not fun, but necessary.

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  8. We need those bags. Mom screams at people that don't pick up there poops!!
    Lily & Edward

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  9. In Denmark, poop bags are cheap. 3 rolls with 50 bags each, for about $ 2. Yet, many pet parents do not use them. And sometimes, if they use them, they throw the poop bags with contents in nature. It is pig-like.

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  10. We love poop bags. With three of us, we go through a lot of bags! Hope to win some more.

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  11. It's always better to have too many than not one at all!

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  12. I agree, it's a responsibility that comes with pet ownership. scoop that poop ~RascalandRocco

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  13. Scooping poop is a responsibility all dog owners MUST head by, but unfortunately, many still haven't grasped the easy message!!

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  14. As we have mentioned before, Mum is in a wheelchair so it is difficult to clean up my poop!!!!! That is why we usually go to the dog area in our complex or the big dog park about a mile away -- People there know the situation and do not mind picking up my poop. When we are walking along the sidewalk, so long as my poop is close enuf to the pavement for mum to reach, she always has a poopy bag to pick it up -- but sometimes she cannot reach it and the distance down from the pavement to gravel is too steep for her to get back up again!!!! So please, peeps, please forgive me and mum for the few times she cannot clean up after me!!!!!!!

    ttfn and toodle pip

    Cookie

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  15. There is nothing I hate more than stepping in dog poop when I am out walking! UGH!!!! Scoop the poop people!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  16. We have had the same umpleasant experience. Can't believe that people feel no responsiblity to clean up after their pets. By the same token, someone cleans the rest area toilets why not also the pet areas too. aaarrgggh!
    hugs
    Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel

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  17. I can't believe that....what is wrong with people? Everyone has to walk around there with their dogs, and why would someone not do something about it? It just doesn't make sense to me!
    We don't travel with our dogs, but I would always assume if there was an area especially for dogs, that it would be expected to be kept clean!
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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  18. This is why we're glad we go in a box. :) Though sometimes we find dog poop in our yard. Crazy neighbors.

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  19. Well said! And I think it's probably true about men being less likely to clean it up than women…I have had to insist on it more than once I'm very sorry to say.

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  20. There is a man in our neighborhood that walks his two dogs. He lets them go in everyone's yard. I don't understand that mindset that thinks that's okay!

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  21. Ma always has an extra roll of poopie bags to give to anyone she sees who 'leaves' their doggies mess behind...yeah, she's passive-aggressive that way! BOL
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  22. Its so crazy how dangerous it can be to leave poop behind! Definitely important to pick up! Thanks for the great post!

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