What do you do if a host tells you to dispose of dog poo down the loo? Whilst not actually illegal in the UK or Crown Dependencies, water companies strongly advise against this due to environmental reasons - toxocara and other pathogens are not destroyed by the sewage treatment systems.
I have seen one listing where the owners specifically state that poo from the garden should be put down the loo. I would not apply for this sit, but what would people do if this was stated on arrival at the sit?
@Jenny please can you also advise what THS view is on this? Many thanks.
@Itchyfeet I think I would also tell them I was going to do that and explain why. I was quite (very) shocked to read it in the listing, and not a little disappointed because it was a gorgeous house that came up in my saved sits; the owners were a professional couple who I would have expected to know about such things.
Now that’s something I’ve not been asked about before!
I’m not an environmental expert, but based on what you’ve described, I think this would likely be something for host and sitter to discuss further if the sitter was uncomfortable with disposing of waste in the host’s preferred way.
A few of my own thoughts…
Asking how they’d feel about you bagging it and putting it in the general waste instead.
Asking if there’s a dog waste bin nearby for walks.
For anyone that might find themselves in the situation, if it’s in the listing and it’s a dealbreaker for you, it’s probably worth asking about a compromise before applying rather than ruling out a lovely sit straight away.
I found this Forum post from a couple of years ago, I think it could be useful!
In general I’m a fan of following HO directions in the care of their pet, but I’d just dispose of the poop properly and not mention it until after. It doesn’t impact them or the pet at all, but you just might not get chosen if you say off the bat you’re not going to follow their directions.
I cat sat for a friend who was adamant that I use disposable utensils for feeding wet food because she didn’t want to deal with washing even one fork (no dishwasher). I just used a real fork, washed it, and put it back in the drawer
@Jenny thanks, that thread was interesting reading. And thanks for your very sensible advice (as always) about disposing of it in public bins close by if not comfortable putting it in the hosts rubbish bin. Now why didn’t I think of that?! However, if the ‘use the loo for the poo’ was in the listing I just wouldn’t apply. I wouldn’t bother trying to discuss it with the owners.
To be honest, we’d probably smile and nod, thank them for explaining their preferred method, and then quietly use our own common sense once they’d left.
I’m not sure how a host could realistically know exactly how we’d disposed of the while they weren’t there anyway.
Some things really don’t need to become a major discussion or disagreement. As long as the dog is properly cared for, the poo is disposed of hygienically and we leave everything clean and tidy, I’d be inclined to just get on with the sit.
There are some battles I’m very happy not to fight!
Since they don’t mention it in the listing, you’d be doing other sitters a favor to bring it up in the review. Doesn’t have to be said in a negative way (if everything else is fine), just to get the information out there.
She may have a very good reason, so best to check with her before deciding you know better. Where I live, the municipal sewage systems treat for pathogens that would be found in dog waste. My daughters building has communal waste bins that do not allow dog waste and her HOAs list flushing as the appropriate disposal method with fines for depositing poo in bins
Hi, Just googled it as knew there were reasons why you shouldn’t.
…
You should not put dog poo down the toilet because it can damage your plumbing, overwhelm septic systems, and introduce harmful parasites and veterinary drug residues into water treatment systems.
Plumbing and Septic Risks
Clogs and Blockages: Dog waste often contains undigested materials like hair, grass, and bone fragments that do not break down like human waste, which can easily clog home pipes.
Septic System Overload: If your home uses a private septic tank, the heavy microbial load and density of dog faeces can disrupt the delicate bacterial balance and exceed the system’s capacity.
Resilient Pathogens: Dog faeces can carry tough parasites like roundworms, Giardia cysts, and parvovirus that survive standard wastewater treatment processes and end up in natural waterways.
Zoonotic Diseases: Parasites such as Toxocara (roundworms) present in animal waste can pose severe health risks to humans, particularly children, causing internal or ocular infections.
Chemical Pollution: Residues from pet medications—such as flea, tick, and worming treatments—can pass through treatment plants active and toxic to aquatic life.
@Visit yes, I’m UK based so am aware of this as stated in my post. I googled to see whether it was the same for Crown Dependencies like the Channel Islands, and it is. I don’t sit abroad but it sounds like in some places the sewage treatment works can deal effectively with dog poo from what @mdarden1x has said.
@mdarden1x I don’t sit abroad (UK based) so would not need to have that discussion but interesting to know that the technology does exist in some places to deal effectively with dog poo.
while they weren’t there anyway.
