Special Edition - Environmental Pet Ownership

Why It's So Important to Clean-up After Your Pets

Possibly the most unpleasant part of pet ownership is cleaning up your pet’s poop. While pet waste left on the ground will eventually biodegrade, it does so very slowly. In the meantime, doggie-doo-doo (and cat waste as well!) creates conditions that are harmful to the environment.

Why poop matters

When it rains, dog and cat poop left on the ground can break apart and wash into gutters, down a storm drain and out to local wetlands and waterways. Pet poop contains coliform bacteria and may also have harmful organisms such as Giardia, Salmonella, E. coli, roundworms, hookworms and other diseases that can be transmitted to humans and other animals who are exposed to the contaminated water. Nitrogen and phosphorus in pet poop can cause algae to grow, which reduces the oxygen available in the water for fish.

Many places you and your pet go require you to pick up after your pet. But even if there is no restriction, cleaning up after your pet is always the right thing to do. No one likes to step in pet poop and inadvertently carry it into their home, car or business. Your community will appreciate the good manners of poop picker-uppers. Scooping while on a walk or on a daily basis in your own yard only takes a few minutes, but has a large paw-sitive impact.

Be sure to carry plastic baggies with you and pick up after your pet whenever you take them out. Always place your dog poop in the trash—it’s not compostable (yes, even in a compostable bag), so please keep it out of the storm drain, bushes, organics cart or yard material piles.

Is Pet Poop Compostable?

Some pet poop is compostable and some is not. It depends on the animal it comes from.

Dogs

The local composting facility that accepts our organic waste does not accept dog poop, so dog poop always belongs in the trash. Never place dog poop in the organics cart, in the bushes or on-street yard material piles; and yes, that's even if it’s in a compostable bag. 

Lately, we have seen an increased number of yard material piles with dog poop bags in them. The bags of dog poop are contaminants in the composting facility and if the bag breaks or falls apart, the dog poop can make its way into our storm drain system and local waterways.

Please remember to dispose of dog poop bags in public trash cans along your path or at home after you complete your walk. Never toss dog poop bags into yard material piles or into the bushes. Be a good neighbor, and don’t drop your bag of dog poop into someone else’s trash cart either.

Cats

Cat poop is also not accepted at the local composting facility, so cat poop and cat litter must be placed in the trash. Even if you use a newspaper-based litter or some other kind of compostable cat litter, please do not place the litter in the organics cart — it belongs in the trash.

Don’t flush cat litter down the toilet either. Flushing cat litter can cause sewer back-ups, so don’t flush cat litter or even cat poop that has litter attached to it.



Birds, (including chickens and quail) rabbits, rats, mice, guinea pigs and hamsters

The poop from these animals is compostable and can make a great addition to a backyard composting pile. It can also be placed in the organics cart along with any soiled bedding, litter box contents and cage liners (as long as the bedding and cage liners do not contain plastics, clay or metals).

Domestic Animals Aren't Wild

Sadly, we will sometimes find domesticated pets that have been abandoned in and around town — guinea pigs hiding under bushes in greenbelts, pet turtles in local ponds and rabbits hopping around in parks.

Domesticated pets, such as cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds and other pets rely on the care of humans to thrive. Most are not able to survive outdoors and will die when abandoned.

While it may seem like setting your fish or turtle free in a local pond will be ok, chances are that your pet will either starve or become another animal’s meal. Some animals, like cats, turtles and snakes, can survive without humans for a short period of time, but their wellbeing will decline and without supplemental feeding they can suffer a tragic end. These abandoned pets also negatively impact native wildlife by eating them or the resources on which they depend.

Some pets can also become an environmental hazard to native wildlife. Red-eared slider turtles out-compete native pond turtles and have impacted the population. Feral and at-large cats kill local birds and other small animals. Domestic chickens and peafowl spread disease to native birds.

If you or someone you know cannot keep your pet, please surrender it to a foster family, animal shelter or animal rescue organization.

Why Leashing is Required (or Dogs Aren't Allowed) in Open Space Areas

Have you noticed that there are open space or habitat areas where dogs aren't allowed or only permitted when on a leash? There are also some areas where dogs aren’t allowed at all. Pet prohibition or leash signs are posted at all entrances to these areas, but have you ever wondered why this matters? It’s an open space, so why shouldn’t dogs run free? What if your dog is very well behaved and has perfect recall? The answer is simple—it’s actually not about your dog. It’s about other animals.

While your pet pooch may be sweet, loving and would never hurt a fly, the mere sight or smell of a dog will scare away wildlife. Even a dog sniffing around a bush off the path or peeing on a tree can be enough to terrify a wild animal, scare away a mother bird from her chicks and cause other animals to avoid the area until the smell fades. On instinct, dogs may also chase and scare or harm small animals that run, scurry or scamper away.

Wildlife and habitat areas are just that—areas set up for the protection and preservation of wildlife. Prohibited pet access or intentionally letting your dog off-leash in these areas causes a variety of challenges for local wildlife in a protected area where they are supposed to be safe and unharmed. It’s also illegal. It's essential to keep dogs on a leash and on pathways in wildlife and habitat areas, so wild animals can live their lives in peace.

Learn more on the Urban Wildlife and Open Space Program webpages.

Where To Pee or Not to Pee: Is That a Question?

When they gotta go, they gotta go. But if you’re taking your dog(s) for a walk, there are some things to consider when finding that special spot. Where is the best place to encourage your pooches to relieve themselves?

Believe it or not, dog urine regularly applied to metal objects such as poles and posts can become problematic over time. Urine is acidic and degrades the metal coatings, which will then start to erode and rust metal structures like light poles, electrical utility panels, steel post shade structures, etc.

We have seen a few poles around town start to deteriorate that have been rather… ah… popular… with local dogs. Yes, this degradation takes years to become a serious issue, but when we can, it’s best to direct our dogs to a less damaging place to pee.

Since dog urine can sometimes damage grass as well. When possible, encourage your pooch to relieve themselves on areas with woodchip mulch, decomposed granite or plain dirt. And don’t forget to always pick up your dog’s poop and place it in the trash (never in the organics bin).

Help Local Wildlife: Keep Your Cat Inside

There are a number of reasons why always keeping your cat indoors is a good idea.

Keeping cats inside protects local wildlife. Outdoor cats don’t just kill mice, rats and other pests. Cats kill countless numbers of birds, lizards, young rabbits and other small animals annually. It doesn’t matter if a cat is well fed. A cat’s natural instinct to hunt and pounce is still present even with a full belly.

As mentioned previously, the bacteria present in cat poop is harmful to the environment. It’s crazy to imagine, but even sea otters living on the coast die from cat viruses they’re exposed to when cat poop enters stormwater and flows into the ocean.

If you have a cat, please consider keeping it inside for its own safety, and to protect our local wildlife.

Fleas and Ticks in the Landscape

When fleas and ticks are found in the landscape, they may hitchhike on our pets. Fleas and ticks will typically feed on any warm-blooded animal, including dogs, cats, rabbits and even us, potentially spreading flea/tick-borne diseases. These pesky biters seek out moisture-rich environments, such as over-irrigated landscapes, dense vegetation and standing water. They also prefer shady areas under trees or patio furniture.

Fleas will develop quicker during warmer temperatures, but can remain in dormancy for up to 12 months in cold temperatures. Ticks can take up to three years to develop from an egg to an egg-laying female. Ask your veterinarian about products for controlling fleas and ticks on your pets.

One way to monitor your yard for fleas is to wear white socks pulled up to the knee while walking around areas where your pet hangs out. If fleas are present, they will jump onto the socks and be readily visible. You can limit tick populations by clearing leaf litter or creating cedar woodchip barriers between your yard and adjacent wooded areas. Discourage opossums, raccoons, squirrels and other wildlife from coming into your yard (and bringing fleas and ticks with them) by limiting their access to food, shelter and water on your property.

Outdoor sprays aren’t necessary to control fleas and ticks unless your pet regularly sleeps outside where flea and tick numbers are high. Pyrethroid-based products that are effective in managing fleas are also known to negatively impact the environment by harming pollinators, fish and aquatic invertebrates. Low-toxicity pest control options may be useful to control fleas and ticks in your yard. Consider applying beneficial nematodes, essential oils (ex. peppermint oil, sesame oil, cedarwood oil and cinnamon oil) and insecticidal soap in areas where these blood- sucking pests are found in your yard.

Learn more about controlling fleas and ticks. 

Living with Urban Wildlife? Why It's Important to Vaccinate Pets

Vaccinating your pet against rabies and other pathogens helps protect the environment by reducing the spread of zoonotic diseases—illnesses that can pass between animals, wildlife and people. When pets are vaccinated, they are far less likely to carry or transmit diseases, which can spread beyond household animals and into local ecosystems. Preventing disease transmission keeps your pet safe, but also helps keep wildlife populations healthy and reduces the risk of outbreaks that can disrupt the balance of shared environments. Along with vaccinating your pets, to protect against fleas and ticks in the landscape, discuss options for flea and tick protection with your veterinarian. 

In addition to the environmental concerns, for the protection of human health and safety, California and Yolo County laws require all pet dogs and cats four months old or older to be vaccinated against the rabies virus.

Talk to your veterinarian about the options, benefits and risks of pet vaccinations.