Quick question: did you pick up your pup’s poop today? Yes, I know, you think, “one pile of pet waste, what’s it to me?” “I left my poop bag at home, this one pile won’t matter, etc.” We’ve all been there, and we’ve heard (and used!) every excuse in the book.
And you’re right, one pile might not seem like a lot; however, more than 250,000 dogs live in Austin, generating 150,000 pounds of waste throughout the city every day.
So how much are those 150,000 pounds really?
Let’s put it this way: It’s an entire space shuttle’s weight worth of poop, and it is the weight of nine elephants worth of poop. It’s about two-thirds of a blue whale’s weight worth of poop. It’s about 11 times as heavy as a T-Rex. In one day. That’s approximately 55 million pounds of dog poop in Austin per year.
If no one scoops their poop, it piles up – and the consequences are dire. Can you imagine what 11 T-Rex-sized piles of poop can do? It can create algae and other harmful aquatic weeds, reduce oxygen for fish, and through its pollution, renders recreational areas for fishing or relaxing – such as Barton Springs or Lady Bird Lake – unsafe for us. Just one day’s worth of poop – or nine elephants’ worth, if you prefer that – can lead to Giardia, roundworms, salmonella, and other harmful viruses and parasites to endanger you, your family, or your pet.
So what can you do? It’s easy, really! Just Scoop the Poop.
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*This guest post has been sponsored by Scoop the Poop.*
