Anna JacobyIgnoring dog poop laws will cost you
Most states have dog poop laws that come with serious fines. And for good reason.
Number 1: pet waste is bad for the environment.
Number 2 (sorry not sorry): it’s bad for our health and bad for our pet’s health.
Left behind dog doo is literally how other dogs (and people) can contract hookworms and other intestinal parasites. If we don’t pick up our dog’s poop, the bacteria and parasites it contains — including giardia, E. coli, and salmonella — can transfer to you or your dog. Ew.
When it comes to the environment, dog poop is a pollutant. Rain dumps it (pun intended) into water sources, which then triggers algae blooms and weed growth that make water unsuitable for swimming, drinking, boating, and fishing; let alone as a habitat for the creatures that live underwater.
Please, pick up your dog’s doodie at home in your yard, in your neighborhood, at the park, and on hikes to protect everyone.
“But it’s a fertilizer!” you say. No, it’s really not. Harmful bacteria, pathogens, and parasites, remember?
Pooper Scooper Laws
Always a vanguard, NYC was the first to enact the Pooper Scooper law in 1978. Major cites quickly followed.
As the law states:
“Each person who owns or controls a dog must remove any feces left by that dog on any sidewalk, gutter, street, or other public area and dispose of it in a legal manner.”
Authorized employees of New York City Departments of Health, Sanitation, or Parks and Recreation can issue tickets.
Fecal Fines in Major U.S. Cities
Here are some of the top cities you do not want to be caught leaving your doggie’s doo-doo in:
- New York City, New York fine: $250
- San Francisco, California fine: $320
- Los Angeles, California fine: $500
- Washington, D.C fine: $150 – $2,000
- Chicago, Illinois fine: $50 – $500
- Houston, Texas fine: $75 – $500
- Austin, Texas fine: Up to $500
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania fine: $300
- Miami, Florida fine: $50
- Seattle, Washington fine: $54 – $109
- Denver, Colorado fine: $125
- Boston, Massachusetts fine: $50 – $100
- Baltimore, Maryland: $100 – $1,000
Life’s poo short to pay a fine for something as easy as picking up your dog’s doo. Instead of getting down in the dumps about it, just pick it up!
Again, puns intended.
Does your city have serious dog poop laws? Share them with us in the comments!
