Under no circumstances should you put pet waste in your compost, or bury it where food will be grown or areas close to surface or ground water.

Flushing pet waste down the toilet is not recommended. Few private septic systems are equipped to properly process dog waste. Municipal sewer systems can be blocked by especially large droppings and may be unable to break down elements in dog waste. The harmful organism, toxoplasma gondii, found in cat waste and potentially dangerous to children, elderly, and pregnant women, may be able to survive the municipal waste treatment process.

We know how much of a strain it can be on neighborhood relations to find surprises in your front yard - especially when they're not from your own dog! Likewise, it can be frustrating when you don't feel like your kids can go play outside without coming back with poo on their shoes.  For these reasons, and others, Canines for Clean Water offers a toolkit of resources and information to help you talk to your neighbors about increasing the scoop-rate in your community and making it a safer and healthier place for your family, other pets, and the environment.

Because of how much time cats spend outdoors on their own, we don't expect you to go running around picking up after them every time they do their business. For cats that use litter boxes, though, we recommend that the litter be properly disposed of - which means not flushing it down the toilet or dumping it in the backyard (or over the fence). Cat litter should be double-bagged and tossed in the garbage, right next to those bags of dog doo.

Rain runoff can carry contaminants to nearby streams through storm drains and ditches. Also, pathogens may remain even after the solids have dissolved.

There are hundreds of perceived reasons for not picking up dog poop, but when it comes down to it, keeping our families, our water resources, and our habitats healthy are more important than any of them.

Waste from over 110,000 dogs in Clark County adds up - and that includes big dogs, small dogs, and everything in between.

Even though the solids may dissolve, pathogens and other contaminants can be washed into the nearest storm drain or waterway. Even if it does eventually decompose, the pathogens it carries may not go away for several years – they can make you and your children sick.

Tie bags onto your dog's leash or keep them by the door. Many parks also have pet-waste bag kiosks.

When it rains, runoff carries what starts in your yard down the curb to the nearest storm drain or ditch where it goes untreated into our water.

Yes, time is a real issue. Poo patrol is probably not high on anyone's list of fun things to do after a hard day at work. All we can say is do the best you can. Ideally, you can keep a flashlight and plastic bags by the back door so you'll be ready when Fido is. If that doesn't work for you, try to pick it up daily, or every couple days, or even once a week. Just remember, if you pick it up more often, it won't be such a huge chore. (And think of how clean your shoes will stay!)

No watershed is naturally prepared to accommodate the amount of waste produced by domesticated dogs. The number of wolves which would naturally inhabit an area the size of Clark County would be around 70 - compare that to the more than 110,000 dogs living here now!

That number of dogs is equivalent to that of a city of more than 27,000 people – imagine if all of those people were using their backyards as bathrooms!