National Scoop the Poop Week is observed annually during the last week of April, right after Earth Day, from April 23 to 29. This holiday was created by the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists to remind us of our daily duties as pet owners to clean up after them. This week also raises awareness about the environmental importance of cleaning our animal’s waste.
History of National Scoop the Poop Week
Just like us, we are sure it came as a shock when you heard about this holiday for the first time. Some might say it shouldn’t even be a holiday as the task at hand is far from anything leisure-related.
Today, we are talking about a topic that is uncomfortable to talk about in more ways than one. National Scoop the Poop Week combines two of some of our least favorite things – cleaning up after our pets, and poop. However, regardless of how much we do not like it, cleaning up after our cherished pets should be one of our top priorities.
Aside from it being the logical thing to do, it is also an eco-friendly way to live. Dogs and other pets’ wastes cause a lot of damage to our environment over time when left unattended. Pet waste is a major source of bacteria, causing air pollution with pungent smells, and carrying a host of diseases and worms that can be carried around by other germ-infested rodents and insects, or even pedestrians that mistakenly step in a random pile of poop.
We know by now you think leaving your pets’ poop can serve as fertilizer or can easily be washed away by rain, well you’re wrong. Pet feces is not a great source of fertilizer and is a nonpoint source pollutant. Also when the rains come, particles simply get washed into our waterways and drainages, contaminating our water.
The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists is a professional organization of pooper-scoopers and they created this week to remind us of our personal and environmental responsibility of cleaning up after our pets and animals.
National Scoop the Poop Week timeline
Brooke Miller creates and patents the first-ever pooper-scooper.
Mayor of New York, Ed Koch, passes the first Pooper-Scooper Law in America.
The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (APAWS) is established.
The APAWS creates National Scoop the Poop Week.
National Scoop the Poop Week FAQs
Is National Scoop the Poop Week only for dog owners?
Although the regular culprits of not cleaning up after their pets are dog owners, this holiday was created as a general observance for all pet owners. So whether you own a cat, a pig, or even a horse, this week you are encouraged to make cleaning up after your animal a top priority.
Why is it discouraged to use plastic bags to clean up poop?
Plastic bags are effective, and one of the most popular ways to clean up after your dog. Dog owners often pick up feces in plastic bags, which are then disposed of in litter bins. However, this method is discouraged due to the environmental effects of plastic on the environment. Plastic is not the easiest substance to decompose and does harm to the ecosystem, this is why pet owners are encouraged to find other creative ways to take care of their animal’s waste.
Why isn’t pets poop good fertilizer?
Dogs and some other pets often have high protein intake in their diets. This means their poop is slightly more acidic than regular fecal matter. As it breaks down, the leftover nutrients become incompatible with soil and plant needs, making it unsuitable for fertilizer.
How to Observe National Scoop the Poop Week
Clean after your pet
Of course, the best way to observe National Scoop the Poop Week is by doing just what the holiday says! Make it an active responsibility this week to clean after your pet whenever you find yourselves out and about. Plastic bags are also a method of picking up after your furry friend that is discouraged, so you could research more convenient and eco-friendly ways to go about it, keeping in mind that flushing it down the toilet is the most encouraged method.
Encourage scooping
Don’t keep all this useful information to yourself, instead share all the helpful benefits of cleaning up after your pets on social media. You could also encourage clean-ups with your friends and family members who are also pet owners. Ensure you constructively correct any poop neglecter you may come across this week, reminding them of their responsibility.
Hire a poop scooper
Just like you might not have known this holiday existed, you may also be ignorant of the existence of professional poop scoopers. That’s right if you just can’t see yourself doing the dirty work, some professionals can get the job done for you. The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists also offers this service, and you can find a poop scooper just for you by visiting their site.
5 Interesting Facts About Pet Poop
It’s way more than you think
On average, dogs defecate 275 pounds of waste each year, and cats produce about 1.2 million tons each year.
It contains a lot of bacteria
One gram of dog poop contains as many as 23 million fecal coliform bacteria and feline feces contains a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii.
Lawn mowers don’t help
Mowing the lawn doesn’t erase the poop, instead, it chops it into smaller pieces and disperses it quicker.
They tell a lot about the pet
Veterinarians can use fecal matter to determine a variety of health-related issues your pet may have.
It can eventually become helpful
For dog and other pets' poop to be considered beneficial fertilizer, it has to be safely composted in an enclosed system.
Why National Scoop the Poop Week is Important
It’s environment-friendly
Pet wastes do a lot of damage to our environment through pollution and other means. This observance encourages the environment-friendly responsibility of cleaning up after our pets.
It encourages accountability
Pet owners often liken owning a pet to having a child but are found lacking when it comes to the dirty work that goes with owning these pets. National Scoop the Poop Week holds all pet owners accountable by highlighting one of their responsibilities — cleaning up after their pets.
It’s educative
Thanks to this observance, we can no longer blame our inability to clean up after our pets on ignorance. National Scoop the Poop Week doesn’t only remind us of our civil responsibility, it also highlights the importance of doing so and the environmental dangers of not adhering
National Scoop the Poop Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | April 23 | Tuesday |
| 2025 | April 23 | Wednesday |
| 2026 | April 23 | Thursday |
| 2027 | April 23 | Friday |
| 2028 | April 23 | Sunday |
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