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Contaminated feed, risk of disease transmission and financial losses are all potential consequences for farmers and their livestock when dog waste is left on pasture. Why dog owners should pick up dog poop in the great outdoors.
Spring is here and with it the desire for a walk in the mountains or in nature. At the edges of the meadows, some walkers come across signs that ask them to keep dogs on a leash and to dispose of dog waste.
Fabrice Nanchen, agricultural engineer at the Western Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (HES), explains to RTS why it is important to pick up dog poop: “The problem with dog poop is that it contaminates the food. Dog poop takes a long time to decompose, about two months. Plus, there’s nothing worse for a farmer than walking along the edge of his fields and discovering that they’ve become a dog toilet. Nobody wants caterpillar poop in their salad. So why should we as farmers agree to feed our cows grass that contains dog feces?”
Dog feces, a vector of serious diseases
Dog feces also transmit diseases to cows, such as neosporosis and sarcosporidiosis. The latter cannot be detected in cattle and is only detected at slaughter. The meat is then no longer suitable for consumption and is a loss for the farmer. Neosporosis can lead to miscarriages.
“These parasites circulate in animals and sometimes in humans. “So there is a problem of cross-parasitism, which is transmitted through feces,” says Fabrice Nanchen. It should be noted that “fox droppings are not part of these cycles. These wild animals are everywhere, but it is mainly dogs that leave their excrement on the paths.
No guarantee of compensation
In the event of injury due to a disease transmitted through dog feces, it is difficult to obtain compensation. “Farmers who have livestock insurance can claim compensation. But it is difficult to make a claim against anyone, especially in the case of sarcosporidiosis, as the disease is only detected at slaughter,” explains Fabrice Nanchen. He encourages dog owners to collect their pet’s feces with a plastic bag and then dispose of them in a trash can.