Why is it important to collect our dogs’ feces?

We all benefit when the excrement of dogs and cats is disposed of properly. By doing so, we are preventing it from disintegrating and entering into the air we breathe, becoming a risk factor for numerous diseases.

A few days ago, I started to observe the behavior of several people with their pets on the beach. One person was walking with his dog; at some point, the four-legged animal started to defecate. In the meantime, the owner watched, and with no witnesses, his faithful friend finished his work and both fled the scented scene without collecting the waste. This problem is known as canine defecation outdoors, and it, along with the defecation of cats, birds, rodents, and even humans, is a serious problem that raises the levels of pollution.

It is important to know that fecal matter left on the road ends up drying out and turning to dust; therefore, it not only fouls the air, but it also pollutes food and water deposits. Unfortunately, people still do not understand the magnitude of fecal contamination, and they keep taking their pet to defecate outside without picking up the stools after the animal has done its business. They justify it by saying that hey were just “walking the dog.” The fecal matter of pet is added to the uncontrolled disposal of stray animals, which even further exasperates the problem.

It should be noted that microbes from faeces discarded outdoors are introduced to the human body through breathing or by eating food that has been prepared on the street, causing, serious disorders, including parasitic infections (worms, amoeba or bacteria) and respiratory impairments, which are conditions that may also affect the pets and cause them many diseases. This also shows the importance of our pets being dewormed regularly.

Remember NOT to blame the dog nor the cat for this problem, but the unconscious owners, who do not control the reproduction of their pets, for it is these animals that have offspring, and it is these offspring which are forced onto the streets by themselves or by people who accepted them as a gift or bought them without knowing what it meant to take care of an animal. The same is true with abandoned animals that are not neutered (surgery performed for avoiding them to keep reproducing) and that keep reproducing themselves without control, so favoring the overpopulation problem and, at the same time, the fecal contamination.

Therefore, it is important to say "NO" when we are offered a pet and we do not have enough time or knowledge to receive it with dignity at home. In case of adopting an animal, it should not go to defecate on public roads or. If it does, the owner is required to lift the stool.

Helpful Tips:

Educating our pet is a task as difficult as raising a child… but it is difficult, not impossible. You only need a little patience and discipline to succeed.
The most appropriate stage to train a dog is when they are puppies of a month or a month and a half old. You can talk to your pet and correct it with a rolled newspaper by giving it one or two gentle strokes to  the snout. Never use a broom, a stick or any other object to do this though!
It is important to teach them what to do and what not to do when going for a walk. Remember to always carry a leash!
It is important that the first thing you do is to find an appropriate place for your pet to feel comfortable. Let it look and sniff. Your dog will do whatever it has to be done in the place where it feels fine. Every time that you go for a walk, lead your pet there, until it gets used to what it is supposed to do and where it is supposed to do it.
Please take a plastic or paper bag and a glove with you. You should then deposit it in a garbage can or in special container for this type of garbage; or, you can take it to a toilet.
Do not allow your pet to sniff or lick the feces of other animals, for it can catch illnesses this way.
Another easy way to clean the excrements from a dog is by carrying and throwing lime (white alkaline substance) over it, and then picking it up.
Remember to always ask for a vet’s advice. Respecting the rules of coexistence is the main thing to live in peace within a community. Please collaborate and do not do things that you would not like to be done to.

Karla Carvajal Obando
Veterinarian
Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica

We all benefit when the excrement of dogs and cats is disposed of properly. By doing so, we are preventing it from disintegrating and entering into the air we breathe, becoming a risk factor for numerous diseases.

A few days ago, I started to observe the behavior of several people with their pets on the beach. One person was walking with his dog; at some point, the four-legged animal started to defecate. In the meantime, the owner watched, and with no witnesses, his faithful friend finished his work and both fled the scented scene without collecting the waste. This problem is known as canine defecation outdoors, and it, along with the defecation of cats, birds, rodents, and even humans, is a serious problem that raises the levels of pollution.

It is important to know that fecal matter left on the road ends up drying out and turning to dust; therefore, it not only fouls the air, but it also pollutes food and water deposits. Unfortunately, people still do not understand the magnitude of fecal contamination, and they keep taking their pet to defecate outside without picking up the stools after the animal has done its business. They justify it by saying that hey were just “walking the dog.” The fecal matter of pet is added to the uncontrolled disposal of stray animals, which even further exasperates the problem.

It should be noted that microbes from faeces discarded outdoors are introduced to the human body through breathing or by eating food that has been prepared on the street, causing, serious disorders, including parasitic infections (worms, amoeba or bacteria) and respiratory impairments, which are conditions that may also affect the pets and cause them many diseases. This also shows the importance of our pets being dewormed regularly.

Remember NOT to blame the dog nor the cat for this problem, but the unconscious owners, who do not control the reproduction of their pets, for it is these animals that have offspring, and it is these offspring which are forced onto the streets by themselves or by people who accepted them as a gift or bought them without knowing what it meant to take care of an animal. The same is true with abandoned animals that are not neutered (surgery performed for avoiding them to keep reproducing) and that keep reproducing themselves without control, so favoring the overpopulation problem and, at the same time, the fecal contamination.

Therefore, it is important to say "NO" when we are offered a pet and we do not have enough time or knowledge to receive it with dignity at home. In case of adopting an animal, it should not go to defecate on public roads or. If it does, the owner is required to lift the stool.

Helpful Tips:

Educating our pet is a task as difficult as raising a child… but it is difficult, not impossible. You only need a little patience and discipline to succeed.
The most appropriate stage to train a dog is when they are puppies of a month or a month and a half old. You can talk to your pet and correct it with a rolled newspaper by giving it one or two gentle strokes to  the snout. Never use a broom, a stick or any other object to do this though!
It is important to teach them what to do and what not to do when going for a walk. Remember to always carry a leash!
It is important that the first thing you do is to find an appropriate place for your pet to feel comfortable. Let it look and sniff. Your dog will do whatever it has to be done in the place where it feels fine. Every time that you go for a walk, lead your pet there, until it gets used to what it is supposed to do and where it is supposed to do it.
Please take a plastic or paper bag and a glove with you. You should then deposit it in a garbage can or in special container for this type of garbage; or, you can take it to a toilet.
Do not allow your pet to sniff or lick the feces of other animals, for it can catch illnesses this way.
Another easy way to clean the excrements from a dog is by carrying and throwing lime (white alkaline substance) over it, and then picking it up.
Remember to always ask for a vet’s advice. Respecting the rules of coexistence is the main thing to live in peace within a community. Please collaborate and do not do things that you would not like to be done to.

Karla Carvajal Obando
Veterinarian
Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica