Terrible Home & Life Habits That Are Harming The Wildlife Around You

17.Uncontrolled Pet Waste

There’s a reason the law requires you to pick up your pet waste. Failure to pick up your waste may result in harmful bacteria and parasites leeching into the environment. This negatively impacts both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Just because your pets waste is natural, doesn’t mean it’s good for the environment.

According to the EPA, “one gram of dog waste can contain upwards of 23 million fecal bacteria (supposedly as toxic as an oil spill). When left unchecked (i.e., not scooped and not disposed of appropriately), elements of that toxic soup can make their way to waterways through erosion and rain, contaminating anywhere they pass through.” Dog waste is not the same as wild animal waste, especially because of the differing diets (Friends of the Blue Hills).