Where Does Your Dog’s Poop Go?

I have to start by asking a question.

Your dog poops outside. You bag it up (like a responsible citizen) and you now hold in your possession a bag, filled with poop.

What do you do?

Do you throw away this bag of solidified waste in the outdoor garbage bin?

Or do you place it in a safe, bigger bag in which other trash is placed?

If you are reading this, you most likely have an outcome in mind. Right?

This is not something you do out of choice. Nor is it something out of thought. Rather this is an action of HABIT and what society has deemed right.

According to my research (i.e. outlandish reactions to my Instagram Stories), it would seem that most of you reading this choose to dismissively toss your dogs waste into the outdoor trashcan, freeing yourself from the responsibility which your four legged companion humbly bestowed upon you.

But what if I told you this was WRONG!?

I know. That would be crazy. But I want to tackle this subject because I think there is an underlying principle at play that we, as a society, MUST address.

But before we get into the “nitty gritty,” lets learn a little bit more about these options by providing you with two scenarios:

Scenario 1

You are walking your beautiful dog. She (my dog’s pronouns are she/her just in case anyone was wondering. Sunny demanded I tell you) is enjoying her walk. The one time in her life in which she is free from the confines of a building and able to imprint herself on the outside world.
The limitation of a 6' leash does not hinder her free spirit and she searches the grass for a place to find peace and liberation from the pressure in her intestines.

Ahhh, what is this? A prime location. This blade of grass, yess… this will do nicely! Your dog secretes the final result of laborious and involuntary effort done by the bowels to give nutrients to her body from the food she has consumed. She makes eye contact with you, her closest friend, to relay trust and ensure her safety.

The deed has been done.

Now, you have a decision to make… or do you?

You pick up the droppings, tie the bag off, and drop it in your outdoor trashcan.

Problem solved.

*5 Days Pass*

Your dog’s poop has sat outside, on it’s own, for multiple days on end. It has weathered harsh storms and unforgiving heat. Yet finally, salvation comes.

It’s 6am on a Monday morning, and it is time for the trash to be picked up.

Joe, a young man of 22 years of age, is working hard to make a name for himself. Due to his young age and inexperience with the company, he has been chosen as the choice retriever of trash cans during work hours. He has one AirPod in as he listens to a new episode of his favorite podcast, “Hot Takes.” It’s not a perfect start to the week, but he is looking to find the good in his work.

He arrives at your house. Your trash can. He opens the lid and the moment arrives in which the mixed bag of fumes arrives quickly into his nostrils. He knows from experience that trash bags, when taken out frequently and tied off correctly, rarely create much stronger smells than that of those dirty socks you refuse to wash (“No babe, those are the lucky socks! You’ll wash the luck RIGHT out!”).

He squints through the poisonous gas to see three respectably sized trash bags. Nothing crazy here.

UNTIL he spots, with horror, the numerous small plastic grocery bags used to retrieve dog waste scattered throughout the trash can. Small holes, leaking mysterious liquids and questionable smells, make up the majority of most bags.

Joe realizes there isn’t much he can do. He swiftly takes the trash can, heaves with his might, and tips it into the back receptacle of that big green vehicle.

He thought it was over, until he feels a strange sensation on his leg.
Maybe he had already worked up a sweat?

No. He looks down and sees an unknown liquid slithering out of the trash can and onto his leg.

He panics.

He drops the trash can in hysteria and, as he does so, a rogue droplet of trash juice flings out the can and lands in the worst place possible:

His open mouth.

Day ruined. Week ruined. Month still in question.

Joe lets out a blood curdling scream at six in the morning and vows to himself,

“I will NEVER let myself mindlessly toss waste into the trash ever again.”

After that, he stopped paying taxes because it went to “The Man” and ended up having to flee the country to Mexico. A crying shame.

But let me offer a much different timeline.

Scenario 2

Everything stays the same, however THIS time you take a few minutes to bring the tied off bag of poop and place it in ANOTHER trash can with a trash BAG in it #doublebag

What happens?

Let’s go back to Joe. He arrives at 6 am. He takes the trash and opens the lid. Multiple trash bags, all neatly placed and held for him to dispose of.

He does so. And you know what? It doesnt smell. In fact, the nice fragrance of the “Odor Blocking” FeBreeze bags make the trash can smell quite nice actually. He even goes as far as to take the trash bags out of the can PERSONALLY and toss them into the back of the dump truck.

He realizes that life isn’t pointless. You must learn to enjoy the little things in life, otherwise you will never experience life. Because it’s full of little things.

He went on to become the CEO of the Waste Management company and eventually ran for President of United States (but ended up joining the ballot as the Vice President, still pretty good!).

Concluding Argument:

We see here two distinct timelines in which one simple, yet thoughtful, decision can affect the course of someones life.

Aren’t all tiny decisions building us up to be who we are to become?

But before I create my own new philosophy, let us go back to “why.”

WHY should you throw your dog poop away in a separate trash can, instead of the outdoor trash bin. Well I’ll tell you.

What’s the Golden Rule? Yes, the one from the Bible that everyone unanimously supports. Can’t remember? I’ll help you:

“Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” -Matthew 7:12

Yes! YES! Amen brother.

The reason I get so fired up about this topic, is not because I want everyone to leave their (dogs) poop somewhere else. I believe in treating others the way you would want to be treated. I remember, all too well, the memories of taking out trash at a QuikTrip gas station, or while working in the kitchen at Chick-Fil-A, and telling myself,

“I will never mindlessly throw away trash ever again.”

BECAUSE I knew that SOMEONE’s gotta touch that trash. Nothing just dissapears. It must be disposed of by someone. Thus, I refuse to throw poop outside freely into the trash bin.

Some of you may now understand where I’m coming from. You’re like,

“Dino, I understand where you are coming from.”

but you’re also like

“I’m still not throwing away my dog’s poop inside.”

THAT’S OKAY! I have done some independent research and found an excellent solution from a friend I have at work! She shared with me what SHE does, and I thought it was so genius that I thought I would share with you:

Take a five gallon bucket (easily found at Home Depot <$5), get the heavy duty trash bags, put trash bag IN five gallon bucket.

Poke one or two holes to let any water drain through. Then at the end of the week, take said bag, tie it up, and place it in the outdoor trash can.

ALL THE POOP IS CONFINED SAFELY. NO POOP GOES INSIDE. IT’S A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYONE.

Friends and family, that is your lesson on politics and why no one understands how to be diplomatic anymore. Share your thoughts. Listen to their rebuttals. Empathize. Compromise. Win.

If you read all of this… Bravo.

I hope you enjoyed it. I would TRULY love to hear YOUR thoughts on the matter. Feel free to let me know on Instagram and/or Twitter @dinofavara or you can just click here.