Get The Scoop On
Dog-Waste-Compost

I know. Dog-feces is something we probably don't even want to think about as being anywhere near our yards or on our properties.

Dogs and all animals for that matter of course, do their business pretty much anywhere they want. If it's done in an ecosystem that can deal with it, that's fine.

What about homeowners who don't have the luxury of taking
their pets to those places any number of times per day?

If we all had little dogs, it might not seem so bad. But,
many of us have large dogs and it can become quite a problem.

Some of us have to deal daily with neighbourhood dogs, and
our pets do not get walked "elsewhere" either as much as they
should. And so, we end up doing the walk-around the yard with our shovels and rakes as much as we can.

Not an overly pleasant chore I look forward to. I have a Lab, and Bear is not exactly a little guy!

This is not a good idea.

First of all, here are some facts about our beloved
pooches and the dog-feces they leave behind.


Dog waste contains a number of parasitic worms such as tapeworms,
roundworms and hookworms.

Parasites can exist for ages in the ground, and pose a
health hazzard for everyone, especially children and
pregnant women.

The fecal-matter can get into and infect surface water and
ground water.

Millions of pounds of dog waste can accumulate in one year
and that can just be in an average-sized "small" city.

We all know that our landfills are jammed
to capacity.

In terms of health hazzards alone, coupled with the fact
that plastic bags take hundreds or more years to decompose
in a landfill.

There are corn-based bio bags in use, but if they are buried beneath a ton of garbage, they will sit there for years and years as well.

These kinds of bags will decompose, but in order to do this, they have to be exposed to oxygen to start the process. If bags are buried any deeper than approximately 15 feet, the oxygen can't get at them.

Dumping the dog manure there is not a good solution to the problem. Besides, there are laws against this in some places.

You can be fined as well for not using a pooper-scooper
when taking your pet for a walk.


You can opt to start a dog-waste-compost site on your yard.

It can be buried and treated from time to time in a couple
of ways. Some people use septo-bac, which is a biological
compound used to treat sewage.

You can dig a hole and actually cover it with a lid, or bury
a container and cover that with a lid at the ground level as
well. If you use a container, this will keep the sides from
caving in like a dirt wall may do. Be sure to drill a few
holes in the sides of the container, and add some small
rocks for drainage.

Wherever you do it, keep it away from vegetables or other
edible plants in your garden. Choose a spot that is a bit
out of the way for your dog-waste-compost.

The hole doesn't have to be that big. Three feet wide by
a foot and half in depth is fine. Of course this all
depends on how many dogs you have and their size.

After you have gathered the waste, put it in the hole,
give it a sprinkle with the starter, and add some water.
Put the lid overtop, and within a few days, the process
of breaking down will have begun. You can now add to it
daily, and it won't smell.


After the waste has broken down considerably, it can be
spread. This is done in ornamental gardens.

There are other options as well, if you would rather not
go through the disposal process in this way. There are
disposable bags that can be flushed and will dissolve
very quickly. The waste is treated through the regular
waste disposal plant.

In some cities, there are companies that will pick up
from you, if the dog-waste-compost idea is not viable for you.

Leave Dog-Waste-Compost, Return to Eco Friendly Pet


Return to Carbon Footprint Home Page