Charles Darwin Discovers the Origin of the faeces.
It is easy to forget the real reason why we should pick up dog poo and dispose of it in a bin. Not because it is unpleasant to stand on or touch but what it can do, spread disease. The main disease it can spread is toxocaracanis (roundworm) Large numbers of worm eggs are found in the environment in areas used by dogs for toilet purposes - eg grass verges, public parks where the faeces has not been picked up. After a period of maturation in the environment these eggs become infective to other animals. This period of maturation depends upon weather conditions and environmental temperature in particular. In the UK it takes 2-3 weeks during the summer and several months during the winter. The eggs can survive for 2 years or more in the environment. That is why dog faeces should be bagged and put in a bin. Not bagged and thrown back in the bushes. Birds and small mammals can act as carriers of the eggs so even more reason not to put bags of poo back in the environment to be pecked or gnawed open.
If the faeces is left in the environment for the eggs of the toxocaracanis to mature the eggs can then be ingested by dogs and set the cycle off all over again. That is why regular worming of dogs is so important.( Usually at least every three months.) One survey said that only 54% of dogs were regularly wormed. If that is true it is terrible. I would like to think that all the dogs walked in Northcliffe were regularly wormed but that is probably not so.
If a human ingests the eggs of the toxocaracanis it can lead to blindness particularly in young children. I am sure that not one of us would like to think that a child was blind because we had not taken as much care as possible to prevent pollution.
To read more about disease caused by dog faeces follow this link