There’s nothing more unsightly than human or pet waste in our Town of Carbondale parks (dogs are welcome at Glassier Park, Hendrick Dog Park, and the Delaney Nature Park, but prohibited from all other Town parks) or on our favorite hiking trails. Not only is it bad karma but also it’s harmful to leave your pet poop in a town park. What you leave on the land ends up in the water: dog poop carries many viruses and bacteria that can be extremely harmful to humans and to other animals, and easily contaminate water in our favorite lakes, streams, and rivers.

How to Pick Up Your Pet Poop

At the park: use provided trash bins and plastic bags or take your own bags so you can pick up and dispose of your pet’s waste.

On trails: “pack it out” means pet waste too! Many of our local trails have poop trash cans. Some do not, and that means “pack it out” so do not leave the bagged poop for the poop fairy (sorry to break it to you, she’s not real!) instead please take the baggy home with you and dispose of it in a trash can

At home: get a pooper scooper and bin just for pet waste and empty only into your trash

5 Reasons to Pick up Your Pet Poop

1. No one likes running into pet poop in our neighborhoods, urban areas, parks, trails, or open spaces! Cleaning up your pet’s waste is part of being a responsible pet owner.
2. Pet waste doesn’t make good fertilizer. It isn’t good for grass or plants like other animal waste, because it’s too acidic. That’s due to our pet’s high protein diets. Pet poop can actually poison grass and plants, including those in your yard.
3. Pet waste can contain dangerous pathogens, viruses, bacteria and parasites like Salmonella, Coccidia, Roundworms, Tapeworms, Parvo, Giardia and E. coli. which can make people and other dogs very sick. Children playing outside and adults who garden are most at risk.
4. Compost piles don’t get hot enough to kill the disease-causing organisms in pet waste. You should never add pet waste to a compost pile.
5. Stormwater and snowmelt wash pet waste into our waterways. Pet waste is high in nitrogen and phosphorus. Too much of these nutrients can cause algae to grow too fast. That can result in:
   • decreased oxygen in the water killing fish and other animals living in the water
   • the death of underwater grasses and plants
   • polluted habitat for ducks, crabs, and other animals
   • water that is murky, green, smelly, and even unusable for swimming, boating or fishing

Free Poop Bags!

Pick up your free pet poop bags from the Carbondale Tourism visitor information booth each Wednesday at the Carbondale Farmer’s Market, and at the Carbondale Tourism offices in the 3rd Street Center. Available while stocks last.

Other Poop Resources:

Leave No Trace explains dog vs wildlife poop versus.