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To Flush or Not to Flush?

Last week I was reading an article over at Raise a Green Dog about International Composting Week and how composting your dogs’ waste through a composting system can help the protect the environment.

As I was reading the article I was surprised to find out that the EPA recommends that the safest way to dispose of your pet’s waste is to flush it. However,  that just isn’t possible for some people, especially those who have a septic tank, or those of us who have large dogs.

I’ve never thought about flushing the Newf’s poop. I mean I know that if I flushed Leroy or Sherman’s poop every time they went, 9 times out of 10 it’s gonna clog the toilet, and while my husband is a plumber I just don’t think that would go over very well day after day.

“Hurry honey! Leroy’s poop clogged the toilet again!”

Yeah, no. Not gonna happen.

So what’s another alternative to safely disposing of your dog’s waste?

According to the EPA it really depends on where you live.

Some communities recommend that the waste be bagged up and put in the trash or buried 5 inches deep in the ground.

I personally bag my dog’s poop, but what if I wanted to take it one step further and actually do good by my dog’s poop?

I could build a dog waste composting system!

Seriously! That’s what I wanted to do this weekend!

I had my garbage can in my hand and I was ready to cut out the bottom and dig a big hole to bury it when my husband intercepted me.

He has gotten good over the years dealing with me and my brilliant ideas.

He knows when to let me go and when he needs to step in, which is usually when it involves him digging a huge hole in the backyard for dog poop.

Anyway, as I held the saw in one hand and the garbage can in the other, he carefully explained to me that the he didn’t think the garbage can was going to work in our situation, our dogs have too much poop, big poop and lots of poop. The garbage can is going to fill up fast, and not leave enough time to breakdown they way it should which will result in an overflow of poop. It would be way better if I had something bigger, maybe like a 55 gallon barrel, which we don’t have.

Darn it! Another bubble bursted!

Maybe I should try vermicasting. (worm poo composting)

Ewwww…..!

So tell me, how do you dispose of your dog’s waste?

FYI-some sites say that pet wastes should not go into compost because they can contain organisms that can potentially cause illness and death in humans.  These pathogens can infect people when compost comes into contact with food crops or when you handle compost as part of routine maintenance and use. Composing pet waste requires great care in handling and monitoring temperatures, as well as keeping the compost away from children and other pets until it is mature.

 

 

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McKenzie

Tuesday 4th of April 2017

Ha! Hilarious post. I think most people don't even think about doing any of these options, and that is a shame. At least you are thinking of the safest/best way to take care of your pup's business.

2 brown dawgs

Wednesday 16th of May 2012

I would think you would also need a lot of space to compost dog poop or during the summer, neighbors might be forced to enjoy the fragrance. lol We have a bucket in our yard, with a bag and the bag goes to the curb each week.

Jen

Wednesday 16th of May 2012

I used to have a bucket and then it broke! I should get another one!

tylersat99

Wednesday 16th of May 2012

If it's in front or we are walking, we bag and trash. If it's in the back yard, we have a bunch of bushes in front of our fence. No one can walk there and it not really near anything. It seems to dissolve into the ground rather quickly, because if you look there the pile is never big. We don't smell anything and it hurts nothing. We compost our grass in another bare spot by the fence. Behind us is the woods.

Jen

Wednesday 16th of May 2012

Maybe you have compost worms in there eating all the poop:)

Benny & Lily

Tuesday 15th of May 2012

we heard about the compsite tanks. Some buddy had a picture on their blog once..great idea. Snuggles Benny & Lily

Jen

Tuesday 15th of May 2012

It is a great idea! Now if only I could get one:))

Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

Tuesday 15th of May 2012

Very interesting topic:))) Mom has on occasion flushed one of our poops when we had an accident in the house but she has had the toilet get blocked too. She bags our poop and puts it out for the trash. In the summer, it sure does make for some stinky trash:)

Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

Jen

Tuesday 15th of May 2012

Oh yes, sticky summer poop trash, complete with flies! I have had that too!

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