Operation Education at Operation Kindness

Sgt Poopers booth at Operation Kindness Sunlight, cigarettes, leaded paint, prescription drugs… supposedly “safe,” widely recommended, encouraged by doctors, friends and parents… and since proven oh just slightly detrimental to our health.

Over the last 50 years, the list of “things we thought were okay” but aren’t continues to grow. Now we can add another: the seemingly innocuous waste of man’s best friend. But we can’t blame our pets: the problem is simply “who knew?”

Saturday, Operation Kindness Dog Day Afternoon at the Hawaiian Falls Water Park in Garland offered us an opportunity to educate people on the importance of cleaning up after their dogs. Dog waste is classified by the EPA as non-point source pollution, a biohazard that has serious impact watersheds across the world. We spoke to people and handed out fliers explaining the risks.

Many people commented that indeed they thought dog waste was fertilizer. But its really little different from human waste – a substance that -- if it contaminates water supply – can be deadly. And with 1.2 million registered dogs in the DFW area, that means 900,000 pounds of untreated waste deposited daily in our city.

The moral we are learning is that it’s not enough to pick up waste when we take our pets for walks. We need to keep our backyards clean.

Poop Facts 1

Transmission of Disease

Harmful diseases can be transferred to children

Harmful organisms that can be transmitted from pet waste to children and adults can persist for on the ground for weeks. And if it’s in the grass, it’s in your carpet, on your feet and in your bed. Fecal coliform and other bacteria found in dog waste can make people sick. Learn more...

Pet Waste Contamination of Water

EPA findings on the threat of pet waste on our water supply

While livestock are the greatest contributor of animal waste, perhaps the least suspected source of animal waste is man’s very own best friend. Pets, particularly dogs, are significant contributors to source water contamination. Learn more...

Poop Facts 2

What's the Fecal Matter with our Water?

With 1.2 million dogs in North Texas, the dog is now a major source of pollution

In the mid-1990s, scientists perfected methods for tracking the origin of nasty bacteria in streams and seawater. From Clearwater, Fla., to Arlington, Va., to Boise the trail has led straight to the hunched-up dog — and to owners who don't pick up after their pets. Learn more...

Sgt. Poopers Weekly Regimen

Sgt. Pooper will cleans up dog waste and keeps your yard spotless

After you schedule Sgt. Pooper’s cleaning, a service manager will come to your yard on a scheduled day, typically Monday through Friday, to meet your dog and clean your yard. We keep the mess clean and give you a healthier, beautiful yard. Learn more...

Poop Facts 3

Dog Poop is Sewage not "Fertilizer"

If you thought China, Peru or Russia was polluted, perhaps you should first check your backyard. With 1.2 million dogs in North Central Texas, that’s the sewage equivalent of a city the size of Dallas with no toilets. Local dogs produce some 900,000 pounds of sewage per day, much of it contaminating the environment, especially groundwater, area lakes and the Trinity River.

Learn more...

Poop Facts 4

The Open Sewer in your Backyard

Hidden in the midst of North Central Texas is a city with a population of 1.2 million. It’s as large as the city of Dallas itself, but without a single flushing toilet. That’s right. A metropolis equivalent to the 9th largest city in the United States but completely devoid of any sewage system other than “the backyard.”