 Cleaning up after your dog can make our creeks, lakes, and drinking water cleaner for all of us. Dew, scat, droppings, pet waste, whatever you call it, your pet's business becomes everyone's business if it's not picked up and properly disposed. It's more than just a mess to avoid stepping in. It's also an environmental hazard. One dog alone may not seem like a problem, but if you consider a pack of dogs, you begin to see how pet waste can have a major impact. Montgomery has 226,646 people and approximately 52,430 dogs. Those dogs expel about 40,000 pounds of waste each day. That's the equivalent of approximately 25 dump trucks, full of waste each day. The state of Alabama has a population of 4.9 million people and 2.8 million dogs that expel more than 2.1 million pounds of waste each day. That's the equivalent of more than 1,300 dump trucks. If not properly disposed of, all of that waste can end up in our creeks, lakes, and drinking water. When it rains, water flows across surfaces and can pick up pet waste and other pollutants, which is carried through storm drains that flow into nearby creeks and lakes, polluting our waterways that are used for swimming, recreation, drinking, and other uses. Droppings from sick pets may also contain hookworms or roundworms that can be passed on to your pet. In extreme cases, they can even be passed on to people. Waste can also contain the Parvo virus, a debilitating disease that attacks a pet's lower GI tract. It can be fatal. Nobody looks at a cute puppy or kitten and says, I'm going to hurt this guy today, but by their inaction, they could be hurting them as well. A number of cities have installed pet waste stations that offer residents biodegradable, throw away pet waste bags, and public trash bins. If you're not near a pet waste station, you can purchase bags at a local store and keep them on hand. There are even bag holders that connect to your leash, so you will have them wherever you and your pet go. Cleaning up after your pet will help keep water cleaner for all of us. This solution starts one day at a time and one pup at a time.