Dog Waste Research Articles

Household dog fecal composting: Current issues and future directions.

Dog feces are a known source of nutrient, pathogen, and plastic pollution that can harm human and ecosystem health. Home composting may be a more environmentally sustainable method of managing dog feces and reducing this pollution. While composting is an established method for recycling animal manures into low-risk soil conditioners for food production, few studies have investigated whether household-scale compost methods can safely and effectively process dog feces for use in backyard edible gardens. A broad range of literature on in situ composting of dog feces is evaluated and compared according to scale, parameters tested, and compost methods used. Studies are analyzed based on key identified knowledge gaps: appropriate compost technologies to produce quality soil conditioner on small scales, potential for fecal pathogen disinfection in mesophilic compost conditions, and biodegradation of compostable plastic dog waste bags in home compost systems. This review also discusses how existing methods and quality standards for commercial compost can be adapted to dog fecal home composting. Priorities for future research are investigation of household-scale aerobic compost methods and potential compost amendments needed to effectively decompose dog feces and compostable plastic dog waste bags to produce a good-quality, sanitized, beneficial soil conditioner for use in home gardens. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1876-1891. © 2024 The Author(s). Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

What do Australians do with their dog poo? A survey of dog-owning household practices and attitudes

ABSTRACT Australian dog owners are seeking sustainable alternatives to dog faecal collection and disposal, such as compostable waste bags and home composting. Little is known about dog owners’ attitudes towards composting dog faeces or how they manage dog faeces within private households. Australian dog owners’ (N = 1054) were surveyed to investigate household demographics, how they collect and dispose of dog faeces, their home composting practices, and their attitudes, experiences, and concerns regarding home composting dog faeces. Within households, most dog faeces were collected using tools such as shovels and scoops more than single use bags. General waste bins were the most common home disposal location followed by organic waste bins, home compost and burial. Few participants included compostable plastic dog waste bags in home compost. Most composted dog faeces were applied to non-edible plants within gardens. Over half of dog owners viewed home composting as a potentially effective disposal method and many wanted to home compost dog faeces but were not yet doing so. Reported challenges included a lack of reliable compost information, hygiene concerns and uncertainty how canine de-worming treatments affect compost. Findings are important for conducting future research that reflects current practices and address dog owners’ main concerns and challenges.

Motivations Behind Dog Walking in Older Adults: Insights From Guided Walks and Interviews.

For many older adults, physical activity declines with age, contributing to chronic disease and social isolation. Companionship from dogs can help mitigate isolation and promote physical activity. Outdoor environments aligned with the abilities of older adults can encourage walking habits and socialization. To understand how neighborhood features influence dog walking, we adapted a Photovoice approach and photographed 12 older adults walking their dog. Photographs were presented during in-person interviews to facilitate discussions about environmental features. Thematic coding revealed that interactions with nature were key. Participants valued choices in walking path type and conveniently placed dog waste stations. Opportunities to socialize with neighbors were also important. Safety from falling, other animals, and motorized traffic were concerns but were not enough to prevent walking. Our findings suggest that walking environments intended for older adults with dogs should include experiences with nature, diverse path designs, and dog-specific amenities.

Fences, seeds and bees: The more-than-human politics of community gardening in Rotterdam

This paper explores the more-than-human politics of a community garden in Rotterdam, as an expression of sustainable and resilient city making. Challenging the anthropocentrism underlying most research on the politics of urban sustainability/resilience and urban gardening, the paper proposes a more-than-human assemblage approach to urban gardening politics. I argue that urban gardens can be understood as more-than-human configurations and conceptualised as urban garden assemblages. Such assemblages are processes with different temporalities and types of agencies (insects, plants, soil and fences) and can be analytically understood as more-than-human: (1) relations and performances; (2) power hierarchies/resistances; and (3) ethical co-becomings. Building on participatory ethnography, interviews and (online) documents, the paper then presents an empirical account of the Gandhi-garden, a community garden in Rotterdam, embedded in the global Transition Towns movement. The empirical case shows how mundane acts of pulling weeds and using permacultural planting methods are more-than-human place-making practices. It also highlights how, for example, human–soil, human–seed and human–bee entanglements challenge urban neoliberalism while gardeners experiment with sustainable food and a non-violent economy. The paper illustrates the ethico-political expressions of more-than-human community gardening through solidarity bonds with Palestine via olive trees and non-violence thinking, as well as some human/non-human ambivalences when dealing with dog waste and potentially harvest-stealing birds. Finally, the paper presents some reflections and contributions regarding scholarship in the fields of urban gardening, and sustainable/resilient city making.

What not to do with dog poop

This short communication paper comments on the controversial but highly unpleasant topic of littered plastic dog waste bags in the environment. Littered plastic dog waste bags are a source of plastic and microplastic pollution and dog faeces contained in these littered bags also pose human and ecological health risks. This short communication suggests that this littering may be occurring due to confusion by pet owners, who may believe that these so called ‘biodegradable’ bags are compositable, which in the absence of industrial composting facilities, are not. Thus, plastic dog waste bags continue to be a source of plastic and microplastic pollution in the environment long after they have been littered. All pet owners should deposit plastic dog poop bags in appropriate waste bins, not in the environment.

Comparing Support for Dog Regulations Among Adjacent Households and Other Visitors at a Multiple-Use Recreation Area

Ongoing management and research interest in dog-related issues at recreation areas necessitates examining support for relevant management strategies among different visitor groups. Using data collected from an onsite survey of nonadjacent visitors (n=1,257) and a household mail survey of visitors who live adjacent (n=74) to a multiple-use recreation area (referred to as the Forests) in Oregon, we compare visitation characteristics and attitudes about dog-related management strategies among these two visitor groups. Nearly half of all respondents reported bringing dogs with them. Overall, respondents supported providing more dog waste bags and trash cans and requiring leashes in busy areas. They opposed requiring leashes everywhere. Compared to non-adjacent respondents, adjacent respondents have been recreating at the Forests longer, used stricter leash behavior with their dogs, and supported stricter leash regulations and increased enforcement of regulations. However, effect sizes for these statistically significant differences were small. Thus, communication and management strategies that aim to mitigate unwanted impacts from dogs may not need to be targeted uniquely to adjacent visitors compared to those who travel to the Forests. We discuss other pertinent management and communication implications.

Using Community-Based Social Marketing to Reduce Pet Waste Bacteria in Streams

Background and Situation Analysis Baltimore County waterways are impaired by pollution from pet waste. Baltimore County engaged in a campaign to reduce bacteria in waterways caused by dog waste. This paper explores modalities to effectuate change in pet owner behavior which will ameliorate the negative effects of dog waste on the environment. Priority Audience Dog owners living within Baltimore County who are not picking up dog waste in their backyards. Behavioral Objective The behavioral objective was to encourage people who were not currently picking up dog waste in their yards to start doing so. Strategy/Intervention Planning and Development The study examined the effectiveness of using a community-based social marketing (CBSM) campaign to reduce bacteria in streams by encouraging dog owners to clean up properly after their pets. Our approach included all elements of the four Ps of marketing (product, price, place, promotion). The study included formative research to understand barriers and motivators of the audience and to test messages. The campaign was implemented in four targeted areas and then bacteria in waterways was measured to evaluate behavior change. Community-based social marketing strategies included interpersonal communication, securing commitments, promoting social norms, using prompts and increasing knowledge of pet waste pollution in waterways. Evaluation Methods and Results The pilot compared three different delivery methods: (A) direct to household (HH) using door-to-door outreach, (B) outreach at pet-related location(s) and (C) a combination of (A) and (B) in order to determine the best use of resources for future campaigns. Results from four implementation areas were compared to two non-treatment control areas; over 12,000 HHs combined. We measured the effect of the campaign by analyzing the change in the Most Probable Number (MPN) of fecal indicator bacteria ( E. coli) per 100 mL of stream water in both implementation and control areas before the campaign as compared to post-campaign. We then compared results from our campaign to any changes that may have also occurred in those same time periods in 2018 (the year prior to our campaign). Comparing 2019 changes to any changes in 2018 helped to determine whether variations in measured bacteria may have been due to seasonal fluctuations. Results showed a measured decrease in bacteria levels in 3 out of 4 targeted areas from pre-implementation to post-implementation. Our research findings suggested that CBSM contributed to decreased bacteria levels in streams. Recommendations for Social Marketing Practice During this study, we learned the importance of interpersonal communication and partnerships to help promote the product. Partnerships included places where our primary audience trusted information received and places where we could reach a high concentration of our target audience. Results indicate that interpersonal communication at partner locations seemed just as effective as door-to-door outreach. A recommendation for future efforts is that human resources needed for CBSM can be concentrated in partner locations. Door-to-door efforts are still valuable and can be reserved for hot spot areas and potentially supported by volunteers.

Voluntary Public Campaigns to Benefit the Environment: Assessing the Effectiveness of the There Is No Poop Fairy Campaign

The There Is No Poop Fairy campaign began in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2014 to encourage dog owners to pick up their dogs’ waste so that it does not contaminate the Rio Grande through stormwater runoff. This research aimed to understand the success of the campaign using a survey of local dog owners. Results suggest that the campaign was successful based on its reach and influence on self-reported pickup frequency and showed that those who were aware of the campaign reported higher frequencies of dog waste pickup, greater environmental concern, and greater awareness about the effects of dog waste on stormwater quality.

Exposure to a common urban pollutant affects the survival and swimming behaviour of creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus).

Anthropogenic effects on the aquatic environment are ever present and ever increasing and while a plethora of aquatic contaminants are known to affect fishes, one ubiquitous and increasingly prevalent world‐wide urban runoff pollutant is frequently disregarded, and that is pet waste. While dog waste has been identified as a significant factor contributing to bacteria and nutrient loading within receiving waters and the associated water quality changes are known to affect fishes, the impact of uncollected dog faeces on urban fish populations has never been directly investigated. In this study we exposed creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), a widespread tolerant stream minnow, to various realistic concentrations of dog waste as simulated urban park runoff testing both fresh and dried dog faeces in both stagnant and aerated water for 96 h to investigate the impact on fish survival and behaviour. Creek chub percentage mortality increased significantly relative to controls and across an exposure gradient and was likely caused by anoxic conditions. Survivors were initially smaller while those that died were initially larger and presented with abnormal abdominal subdermal lesions post‐exposure. Additional indicators of physiological stress included significantly increased rates of aquatic surface respiration and changes in flume test derived swimming motivation metrics with increased exposure concentrations. Both mortality and behavioural responses were alleviated by aeration. Furthermore, trials with fresh and dried faeces differed only in time‐to‐death and swimming metrics where results from dried trials were similar to those from aerated experiments. Results demonstrated the impact that the global dog waste management problem can have on aquatic communities with effects on creek chub likely to be more severe for less pollution‐tolerant species and also likely to be exacerbated under future scenarios that consider climate change and increased urbanization.

Social and environmental correlates of rat complaints in Chicago

Abstract Urban rats are widely distributed pests that have negative effects on public health and property. It is crucial to understand their distribution to inform control efforts and address drivers of rat presence. Analysing public rat complaints can help assess urban rat distribution and identify factors supporting rat populations. Both social and environmental factors could promote rat complaints and must be integrated to understand rat distributions. We analysed rat complaints made between 2011 and 2017 in Chicago, a city with growing rat problems and stark wealth inequality. We examined whether rat complaints at the census tract level are associated with factors that could influence rat abundance, rats’ visibility to humans, and the likelihood of people making a complaint. Complaints were significantly positively correlated with anthropogenic factors hypothesized to promote rat abundance (restaurants, older buildings, garbage complaints, and dog waste complaints) or rat visibility (building construction/demolition activity), and factors hypothesized to increase the likelihood of complaining (human population density, more owner-occupied homes); we also found that complaints were highest in the summer. Our results suggest that conflicts between residents and rats are mainly driven by seasonal variation in rat abundance and human activity and could be mitigated with strategies such as securing food waste from residential and commercial sources. Accounting for social factors such as population density, construction and demolition activity, and home ownership versus rental can also help cities more accurately predict blocks at higher risk of rat conflicts.

Enterococci Contamination on Edisto Island, South Carolina: Frequency, Sources of Contamination, and Prospects on How to Improve Water Quality

Beach monitoring samples were collected from 18 (14 currently in use) locations on Edisto Island, South Carolina, from 2000 to 2016 to assess patterns of water quality violations (contraventions) indicated by the presence of multiple Enterococcus species, including Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, bacteria used to assess the health of surface waters for contact recreation. Statistical analyses were conducted comparing Enterococci levels and different environmental variables including location, tidal stages, wind direction, and time. Specific focus was placed on temporal and spatial patterns for dates when the bacteria levels exceeded 104 Most Probable Numbers (MPN) per 100 milliliters (ml), which is the Enterococcus single sample maximum (SSM) water quality standard in South Carolina. Results indicated that 2.2% of the samples exceeded the Enterococcus SSM standard and that the majority of these SSM contraventions occurred in September, during periods without significant rainfall but when primarily easterly winds occurred, at or near the time of flooding associated with King Tides (flood tides higher than 7.5 ft). Statistical analysis indicated that wind direction and tidal stage (at or around high tide—¾ flood to ¼ ebb) appeared to have more of an impact on bacterial levels than rainfall, per se. Microbial source tracking using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis was conducted and used to identify potential bacterial pollution sources causing Enterococci levels to exceed the SSM. Results indicated that birds and domestic dogs, rather than humans, were the major sources of bacterial pollution. These findings suggested that flooding during King Tides inundated a larger area of the beach-face surface containing bird and dog waste, which resulted in elevated levels of Enterococcus SSM contraventions, primarily on the southern end of the island. These findings are particularly relevant due to the increasing sea-level rise associated with climate change. Changes in population growth on Edisto Island were also analyzed and indicated that permanent population has been increasing at a relatively low rate, while high rates of tourism growth have been observed and may play a factor in observed increases in Enterococcus SSM contraventions. Comparisons of contact recreational water quality with other South Carolina (SC) beaches indicated that Edisto Island (2.2% of Enterococcus SSM contraventions) was third only behind the Grand Strand (10.9%) and Sullivan’s Island (3.9%), both of which have much higher population densities (777–1,300 people/sq. mile) compared to Edisto Island (36 people/sq. mile). These low population densities at Edisto Island and microbial source tracking results further indicate that most pollution sources were from birds and dogs and indicate the important role of coastal flooding associated with climate change. Coastal flooding is continuing to significantly increase as 24.4% of all King Tide flooding events in Charleston, South Carolina, over the past 67 years have occurred from 2019 to 2020. Better management of microbial pollution sources from dogs and birds is essential to prevent further degradation and loss of ecosystem services.

Trash @ School

After the inauguration of a local park located next to Venda do Pinheiro school, students quickly began to encounter problems of misuse. Specifically, they complained about garbage scattered in a park that was still new: cigarette butts in the skate and sports areas, dog waste, and other situations. The aim of this project was to challenge students to find solutions to make park users aware of how to improve their behavior. After identifying this common problem, each group had to design a multimedia product to raise public awareness, either by creating a video campaign or designing a piece of urban furniture using 3D modeling and printing.

Dog Owners’ Perceptions and Behaviors Related to the Disposal of Pet Waste in City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks

This study explored dog guardian behaviors and self-reported perceptions regarding the disposal of dog waste on Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) lands in Boulder, Colorado, in an effort to increase compliance with proper disposal practices. We utilized direct observations of dog owners and their behaviors regarding pet waste, and separate self-reported surveys to examine dog owners’ perceptions of waste disposal on OSMP lands. The Theory of Planned Behavior served as a framework to explore how dog owners’ attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control might influence behavioral intentions, as well as self-reported current behavior, regarding the disposal of pet waste on OSMP lands. Finally, this study explored potential management techniques that may influence dog owners to properly dispose of waste on OSMP lands in the future. Data were collected across 10 sites, for total of n =541 observations and n =386 surveys. Canine defecation and human behavioral response occurred n =102 times during the n =541 observations, and overall 73.5% of dog owners properly (i.e., bag waste and immediately take all bags) disposed of waste. Without considering immediate disposal in a trash or compost receptacle, owners with dogs on-leash were significantly more likely to bag their pets’ waste than owners with dogs off-leash. When both bagging waste and immediately disposing of waste in a waste or compost receptacle are considered, owners with dogs on-leash had a tendency (~11% more likely) to bag and immediately take pet waste for disposal. Perceived behavioral control was the construct that most significantly correlated with behavioral intent regarding proper disposal of dog waste. Many respondents reported that additional trash or compost receptacles and bag dispensers along trails would make them more likely to follow recommended practices related to the disposal of pet waste in the future. These results suggest that management should consider the following: designating more on-leash-only sites because compliance is substantially higher when dogs are on-leash; establishing on-leash segments along the first quarter of a mile from all trailheads; installing an additional trash and/or compost receptacle and bag dispenser, specifically one quarter of a mile from the trailheads. Pairing these with educational strategies that inform pet owners to not leave bagged pet waste for later disposal, while highlighting the ease of immediately bagging waste and carrying it to a trash or compost receptacle may further increase compliance. Subscribe to JPRA

Supporting Public Lands in an Uncertain Age: The Wasatch Front Urban Ranger Program

Open space and parks in urban and urban-proximate areas provide vital social, economic, and health benefits to people and communities. Specific benefits include offering opportunities for people to connect with nature, improving air quality, supporting wildlife habitat, and improving community identity and attachment. Management and maintenance of these areas can be expensive and challenging, particularly when multiple agencies oversee different components of the same resource. In the Salt Lake Valley in Utah, the Jordan River Parkway (JRP) and the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) provide recreation opportunities to local citizens. Multiple agencies and private land owners are charged with managing elements of each entity, resulting in inconsistent application of management plans including patrols and maintenance. Subsequently, there are aspects of these outdoor recreation spaces that need increased support, maintenance, and overall stewardship. In 2015, the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at the University of Utah and the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) created the Wasatch Front Urban Ranger Program (WFURP), a trail ambassador program featuring student volunteers from the University of Utah. Each Urban Ranger has three primary duties: public engagement, performing light maintenance, and collecting data on various aspects of trail use. During daily patrols, Rangers inform the public of land management issues and direct them to appropriate resources. They perform trail maintenance, including removing litter, cleaning dog waste, and plucking noxious weeds. They collect data about visitor use and conditions in each area, and regularly report the data to respective management agencies and/or law enforcement and health officials. Rangers recruit a student volunteer for each patrol, which helps increase engagement and enhance knowledge about public lands issues among University students. The program is funded through a number of small grants and the majority of the funding supports a graduate student to coordinate the program. Program partners include the National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Jordan River Commission (JRC), and Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Support from additional local and national agencies help train the Rangers, including personnel the Salt Lake City Open Space District, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Forest Service (USFS), and local law enforcement agencies. Subscribe to JPRA

Routine antibiotic therapy in dogs increases the detection of antimicrobial-resistant faecal Escherichia coli.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical health problem, with systemic antimicrobial therapy driving development of AMR across the host spectrum. This study compares longitudinal carriage, at multiple timepoints, of AMR faecal Escherichia coli in dogs undergoing routine antimicrobial treatment. Faecal samples (n = 457) from dogs (n = 127) were examined pretreatment, immediately after treatment and 1 month and 3 months post-treatment with one of five antimicrobials. Isolates were tested for susceptibility to a range of antimicrobials using disc diffusion for each treatment group at different timepoints; the presence/absence of corresponding resistance genes was investigated using PCR assays. The impact of treatment group/timepoint and other risk factors on the presence of resistance [MDR, fluoroquinolone resistance, third-generation cephalosporin resistance (3GCR) and ESBL and AmpC production] was investigated using multilevel modelling. Samples with at least one AMR E. coli from selective/non-selective agar were classed as positive. Resistance was also assessed at the isolate level, determining the abundance of AMR from non-selective culture. Treatment with β-lactams or fluoroquinolones was significantly associated with the detection of 3GCR, AmpC-producing, MDR and/or fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli, but not ESBL-producing E. coli, immediately after treatment. However, 1 month post-treatment, only amoxicillin/clavulanate was significantly associated with the detection of 3GCR; there was no significant difference at 3 months post-treatment for any antimicrobial compared with pretreatment samples. Our findings demonstrated that β-lactam and fluoroquinolone antibiotic usage is associated with increased detection of important phenotypic and genotypic AMR faecal E. coli following routine therapy in vet-visiting dogs. This has important implications for veterinary and public health in terms of antimicrobial prescribing and biosecurity protocols, and dog waste disposal.

Kontamination landwirtschaftlicher Nutzflächen durch Hunde- und Fuchskot

The contamination with faeces from dogs and foxes was documented on 14 different grassland areas in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, over one year. A total of 402 dog and 58 fox faecal samples were collected from the grasslands, further 236 faecal samples were retrieved from Robidog® units (disposal units for dog waste bags) in the immediate vicinity. The degree of fecal contamination per 100 m2 and year was 0.07-0.75 for dog samples and 0-0.06 for fox samples. Dog faeces from Robidog® units and grasslands contained stages of the following parasites, respectively (sedimentation/flotation method): Toxocara sp. (2.5%; 1.2%), Taenia crassiceps (with molecular confirmation; 0.8%; 0.2%), Capillaria sp. (0.4%; 0.7%), Trichuris sp. (0.8%; 1%), Isospora sp. (2.1%; 2%) and Angiostrongylus vasorum (0.4%; 0.5%). In fox faeces parasite stages were more frequently detected: 19% Toxocara sp., 8.6% Taenia crassiceps, 6.9% Echinococcus multilocularis, 60.3% Capillaria sp., 29.3% Trichuris sp. In two fecal samples from foxes, Taenia saginata eggs or Toxoplasmagondii oocysts were confirmed by molecular analyses, these findings may be explained as an intestinal passage after coprophagy of human or cat feces, respectively. Therefore, foxes can also indirectly play a role in parasite transmission to livestock.

Microbial source tracking in a coastal California watershed reveals canines as controllable sources of fecal contamination.

Elevated levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), including Escherichia coli and enterococci, trigger coastal beach advisories and signal public health risks. Solving FIB pollution in suburban coastal watersheds is challenging, as there are many potential sources. The Arroyo Burro watershed in Santa Barbara, CA is an example, with its popular, but chronically FIB-contaminated beach. To address, a microbial source tracking study was performed. Surface waters were sampled over 2 years, FIB were quantified, and DNA was analyzed for host-associated fecal markers. Surf zone FIB were only elevated when the coastal lagoon was discharging. Among the fecal sources into the lagoon, including upstream human sources and coastal birds, canines were the most important. Canine sources included input via upstream creek water, which decreased after creek-side residences were educated about proper pet waste disposal, and direct inputs to the lagoon and surf zone, where dog waste could have been tidally exchanged with the lagoon. Based on this study, canine waste can be an influential, yet controllable, fecal source to suburban coastal beaches.

Managing Dog Waste: Campaign Insights From the Health Belief Model

Aiming to help municipalities develop effective education and outreach campaigns to reduce stormwater pollutants, such as pet waste, this study applied the Health Belief Model (HBM) to identify perceptions of dog waste and corresponding collection behaviors from dog owners living in a small U.S. city. Results of 455 online survey responses strongly support the HBM, a well-established health communication theory, and provide evidence for helping municipalities develop dog waste reduction campaigns. These findings guide dog waste behavior change campaign strategies discussed at the end of the article, and point to HBM's potential application to other environmental issues.

English

Bioconversion of dog waste (dung) to energy as one of the ways for proper disposal of the waste was carried out through anaerobic digestion for biogas production. The 59-day experiment was performed within the slurry temperature range of 28 and 44°C using a 50 L metallic biodigester. Prior to charging the digesters, physico-chemical properties and microbial content of the waste were determined using standard methods. The results show that a cumulative gas production of 200 L was generated by 7 kg of the waste at the end of the test period while the microbial load decreased from 8.2×1014 at the beginning of the test to 4.2×108 at the end of the retention time. Five microorganisms were identified at the beginning of the charging period, four were identified at the 20th day when the gas began to burn due to methane production while only one microorganism was identified at end of the test.  Even though it has longer retention period than most common animal wastes used for biogas production, its gas production rate is low. However, pathogen reduction through anaerobic digestion justifies its conversion to energy by this method.   Key words: Dog Waste, biogas, anaerobic digestion, renewable energy, biodigesters, microbial count.

Dog Waste, Wasted Dogs: The Contribution of Human–Dog Relations to the Political Ecology of Australian Urban Space

AbstractThe city is increasingly recognised as a complex more‐than‐human space where the lives of humans and non‐humans entwine in consequential ways. Human–animal encounters constitute sometimes convivial and sometimes challenging relations that reflect wider pleasures and tensions in urban society. This paper grapples with concerns about the place of dogs in Australian urban public space and urban life more broadly. Adopting a relational political ecology approach, we ask what pet dogs tell us about the political, emotional, and material struggles that surround multispecies urban cohabitation. Following two human–dog urban waste streams – one concerned with dog waste, the other with dogs as waste – we consider how human–animal relations of both attachment and disposability shape the material flows that constitute urban political ecologies. In particular, by focusing on the ‘shadow ecologies’ of dog waste and disposal, we uncover the dynamic practices of care, disgust, violence, and love through which dogs, their waste, and their bodies are sanitised, controlled, and ultimately concealed from our everyday urban spaces.