Environmental & Health Impacts of Dog Poo

Although there is no doubt that dog poo does have an impact on the environment, recently there has been more debate about the extent of this impact with some studies suggesting that dog poo may not be as significant an environmental issue as was previously thought. Human health impacts of dog poo include zoonoses issues, such as the spread of Toxocara Canis. (Zoonoses refers to diseases which are communicable to humans from animals.)

Statistics

Around 900,000 dogs in Victoria produce 90 tonnes of dog poo each day! Some of these droppings contain harmful bacteria and nutrients and end up washing into natural waterways and Port Phillip Bay through the stormwater system.
Baetz (1992) argues that in terms of environmental impact, 'deposits of 500,000 kilograms of dog faeces are equivalent to having an additional four million people in the environment'.
Dog poo washing into waterways has been blamed as one of the main reasons for excessive E. ccoli pollution readings on beaches following heavy rainfall (E. coli bacteria contaminate water and can cause illness in humans). However, research by the CSIRO has found that bird droppings may actually be more of an E. coli contaminant than dog poo (Jackson, 2000; Murray, Penridge, 1992).
Toxocara Canis is the roundworm that can be found in the faeces of infected puppies or adult dogs and can be passed onto humans (i.e. it is a 'zoonoses'). Roundworm is not present in dogs that are receiving regular worm treatments, however, some research has indicated that the number of infected dog faeces found in suburban parks is higher than originally estimated (Jackson, 2000).
Although the risk of zoonotic infection is low, children are the group most susceptible as their immune systems are underdeveloped and they may eat dirt and grass or fill their mouths using contaminated hands. People with compromised immune systems (e.g. AIDS sufferers), field sports players and hand-powered wheelchair users may also be at risk (Jackson, 2000; Murray and Penridge, 1992).

Dog Poo: Risks of Zoonoses from Dogs on Sporting Fields (335KB) by Michael Hayward BVSc, Chair, Animal Welfare Advisory Committee ACT. Convenor Elect, Urban Animal Management Advisory Group Australian Veterinary Association, September 2004