Five reasons to pick up after your pooch

Wagga Wagga is a city of pet lovers. With the onset of warmer weather and now more daylight at the end of our day, we’re out there more regularly taking our beloved pooches for a stroll.

With more of us pounding the pathways, Wagga Wagga City Council is sending a timely reminder to ensure you’re well prepared when it comes to the business end of the daily dog walk.

Council’s Regulatory Services Coordinator Kathleen Bagshaw said while it can be tempting to look the other way when your dog answers the call of nature, it is important to be mindful of the larger environmental and health issue.

“It’s great to see people out walking the dog and having a green compostable bag in hand ready to pick-up,” Ms Bagshaw

“Picking up the waste prevents it washing into the drainage system and ultimately into our waterways where it can have a far-reaching effect on us all.

“We’re reminding people to pick up a bag when leaving home and have it ready for when you’re out walking the dogs.”

Here are the top five reasons to take a bag with you when you head out with your dog.

1. It’s the law. Leaving your pet’s waste on the ground is an offence which can attract a fine of $275.
2. It carries disease. Dog poo can contain harmful bacteria, spreading disease to other dogs and humans. You don’t even need to come into direct contact with it, as flies and other pets can transmit the disease.
3. It pollutes our environment. Every time it rains, the poo washes into our drainage systems, carrying bacteria into our waterways. Once pathogenic microbes from any diseased poo get into water, they can find their way into other living things – including us.
4. It’s not fertiliser. Dogs generally eat a high-protein diet, which makes their poo acidic, scorching any grass or plants beneath it. In short, it’s about as far from cow manure as you can get.
5. Picking up the poo on your daily walk will help keep our streets, parks and gardens looking and smelling beautiful.

So next time you’ve heading out on a walk, please grab a bag –preferably a compostable one – and pick up after your pet.

And remember, pet waste and kitty litter goes into the general waste red lidded bin.