Input From Reader On Proper Disposal of Dog Droppings

One of our readers who lives in the neighborhood asked us to post her email she sent to us:

"We know that the vast majority of dog owners in our neighborhood are very responsible and good about the proper disposal of their dog's waste. After seeing a resident or dog walker put HER bag of dog droppings in OUR clean green container, I decided to do some web research and also called the city to ask about proper disposal.

We had gotten a warning previously from the Yard and Food Waste workers about a plastic bag in our container. We never put our dog's bags or other plastic bags into our clean green so knew that the bag in question had to come from someone passing by.

The official answer is that the bag is to go into one's regular garbage container and not into either "recycle" or "yard/food waste". Since the workers can refuse to take "contaminated" yard/food waste, everyone should take their dog bags home for disposal so each can deal with his/her own containers.

Note that it is considered "polluting" to put the pet's waste down a street storm drain so this is not the answer.

With our own dogs, we dump their droppings into our toilets and disposal of the compostable bag in our garbage. Needless to say, I do not think anyone would appreciate doggie bags in their trash from others' pets."