It's Time to PUP Columbus

Now you may be asking yourselves, “As good neighbors, we all know the importance of picking up our dog’s poop, but what else can we do as dog owners to help minimize our environmental impact?” Luckily for you, you’ve got all the eco-friendly options you need to be the best neighbor and dog owner on your block!

1. Use compostable poop bags
   • Traditional plastic poop bags can take hundreds of years to decompose. And while picking up your dogs poop with these bags is still far better than leaving your dog’s poop on the ground, real PUP warriors can use compostable bags to help minimize the environmental impact of their poop bag. Keep in mind – compostable bags still need to go in the trash unless you have access to a specific pet waste compost system.
2. Flush it……..yes, really!
   • Flushing your pet’s waste sends it directly to our water reclamation plant, where it will be properly sanitized and handled, unlike when it gets washed into waterways. You can do this safely by scooping your dog’s poop in toilet paper or in flushable bags (these are specifically made for this exact purpose, never flush a plastic or compostable poop bag).
3. Participate in municipal pet waste programs
   • Columbus has installed PUP kiosks (providing free poop bags to encourage dog-owners to PUP) in ALL Columbus Recreation and Parks Department city parks. Show support of these stations by not only using them, but by also advocating for more in areas that you think could really benefit from them. If you know of any public spaces in Columbus that could benefit from a PUP kiosk, contact us to let us know!
4. Educate your neighbors about PUP!
   • Many people still falsely believe that leaving their dog’s poop on the ground is fine because it will help add nutrients to the soil. As we know from our PUP-ucation, that is simply not the case! You can help just by PUP’s message and educate to other dog owners the importance of picking up their dog's poop and how it impacts not only the sanity of their neighbors, but also the health of their environment.

Want to keep showing support for PUP in your community? (or show support of your neighbor finally picking up their dog's poop from your yard?) Email pup@columbus.gov to receive PUP doorhangers or yard signs!

Is picking up after your dog really the law?

Yes - when we said it’s your doody to pick up after your pup, we meant it!

Take a look of some of Columbus’s ordinances that specifically prohibit pet owners from not scooping up their dog’s poop:

• Section 902.01 of Columbus’s city ordinance prohibits leaving pet waste in or near streams or watercourses, on private property not owned by the pet owner, or on public property. A violation is a third-degree misdemeanor with up to a $500 fine and/or 60 days imprisonment.
• Section 919.16 of Columbus’s city ordinance prohibits placement of waste, specifically including a pet owner failing to clean up pet poop, on park property such as reservoir property and waterways. Violation is a minor misdemeanor with up to a $100 fine.
• Section 1111.01 prohibits a person from causing or permitting animal excrement from draining or flowing to a water supply source or to any watercourse tributary to a water supply source.
• Section 1145.86 of Columbus’s city ordinance prohibits the discharge of anything other than storm water into City storm sewers, and as we know, discharges of storm water containing pet waste to the City’s storm sewers can occur if pet waste is not picked up. A violator may be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $25,000 for each violation.

Is bagging your dog poop in a plastic bag really any better for the environment?

Yes! Even though the plastic dog poop bag will contribute to landfill waste, the waste will be contained and eliminate the direct pollution to local waterways. To reduce the impact of plastic poop bags on the environment and water pollution, make sure to properly dispose of them and try to minimize their use by using one poop bag for multiple piles of waste. If you want to go above and beyond as a pet owner, switch out your traditional plastic dog poop bags for compostable ones. By transitioning to compostable options and properly disposing of plastic poop bags, we can help minimize our impact (and our pooches’) impact on aquatic systems and protect our environment. For more eco-friendly tips for dog owners, be sure to check out our Be a Good Neighbor section if you haven’t already!

How do you know what the water quality issues are really from pet waste and not something else?

That’s a great question! Pet waste is a leading source of nutrient and bacteria pollution in urban streams and waterways (Wood, 2017). Commercial dog food contains added nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, so when their poop gets washed into stream so do those extra nutrients. While it may seem beneficial to have extra nutrients in a stream, the reality is quite the opposite. Extra nutrients from dog waste can cause issues such as harmful algae blooms, which reduce oxygen levels and harm fish and other aquatic life.

In contrast, wild animals typically eat foods found in their surroundings, so their waste effectively cycles the appropriate nutrients back into the ecosystem, supporting plant and wildlife health.

Check out our sources for more info!

Dog poop vs. wildlife poop: Not all animal excrement is equal | forest preserve district of Will County. Dog poop vs. wildlife poop: Not all animal excrement is equal. (2020, May 4). https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/the-buzz/dog-poop-vs-wildlife-poop-not-all-animal-excreme/

Wood, D. (2017, August 28). Be a Chesapeake Bay Retriever: Designing Effective Outreach Programs to Reduce Pet Waste. https://mostcenter.umd.edu/sites/default/files/2020-08/Be%20A%20Chesapeake%20Bay%20Retriever.pdf

How should we pick up after our dogs if they have loose stool?

These situations can cause some hesitation for even the most responsible dog poop picker uppers. Luckily our PUP dog experts have some advice on how to navigate these stinky situations.

• It’s a good idea to carry paper towels during your walk if your dog is experiencing loose stool.
• When your pup goes, open your poop or plastic bag and use it as a glove while you soak up the mess with a paper towel.
• Tie up the used paper towels in the poop bag and dispose of it properly.

  Other options to consider when you’re at home:

• Use compressed air to freeze the stool before picking it up.
• Sprinkle a small amount of clumping cat litter on top of the poop, which will make it easier to get it all.

Remember, even if you can’t completely scoop up everything, doing your best will contribute to keeping our streams and rivers clean!

How should we pick up after our dogs in inclement weather?

As Ohio residents, we know a thing or two about inclement weather. During summer heatwaves, the extreme temperatures can accentuate the smell of your dog’s poop, making it gross to carry around with you while you walk. While it may be tempting to leave the bag of dog poop on the ground, PUP heroes don’t litter. Instead try to add a little bit of baking soda to your poop bags before you pick up your dog’s waste. This will help to neutralize the poop’s odor and will make for a much less stinky walk. In the case of extreme rain, similar to dealing with loose stool, paper towels can be your best friend. Carry a couple of paper towels with your poop bags, so that if the rain causes runoff with your dog’s poop, you are able to soak up what you aren’t able to pick up. On snow days, many dog owners have recommended walking with a poop scooper in order to pick up after your pup without freezing your hands in the process.

What about cat poop?

Got a feline friend at home, too? Do they go outdoors often? Much like their canine companions, cat feces can pollute the environment and spread bacteria and viruses. Therefore, it’s wise to apply the same precautions as you would with your dog.

One of the best things that you can do to reduce your cat’s carbon pawprint is to keep it indoors. For the paw-some cats who already stay indoors, we’ve got tips for you too! One of the biggest ways that you can help keep your cat’s waste eco-friendly is through your cat litter care.

First and foremost, you should never flush cat litter. Water reclamation plants are not designed to process cat waste, so flushing kitty litter will contaminate our water supply. As for the litter itself, there are a lot of great eco-friendly alternatives to clay cat litter to show off your cat’s green-toe bean! Some naturally biodegradable cat litter options include grass seed, newspaper, coconut, wheat, and pine cobble. Make sure that when composting biodegradable litter, you are composting only the litter and not the waste.

Check out our sources for more info!

Bradford, S. (n.d.). How to dispose of cat litter The Eco-Friendly Way | Pettable. Pettable. https://pettable.com/blog/how-to-dispose-of-cat-litter-the-green-way

Do you like what PUP stands for? Help support PUP and become a PUP partner! Here are some ways that PUP partners can help us reach our goals of educating all dog owners to pick up their dog’s poop for a better Columbus:

• In-kind contributions such as pet goodies are welcome--we'll use them for giveaways and contests.
• Put an article about PUP on your website or in your newsletter.
• We need to spread the word about PUP all over Columbus. If you can think of other ways to help, let us know.

• We are using input from YOU to determine where to put our next public PUP station. Let us know of any areas by you that may need some extra help from PUP (insert form for requesting public PUP station).