Dog Waste In Sarasota Waterways

If you live in Sarasota or Manatee County, chances are the beaches and waterways are a big part of why you’re here. Siesta Key, Lido Beach, the Manatee River, Sarasota Bay — these aren’t just pretty views. They’re where we swim, fish, kayak, and take our dogs for walks.

So here’s something most people don’t think about: what happens in your backyard can end up in those waters. And dog poop is one of the biggest culprits.

It Doesn’t Just Disappear

A lot of people assume that dog waste left in the yard will just… break down naturally. And technically, it does decompose over time. But the bacteria, parasites, and nutrients inside it don’t just vanish. They seep into the soil, get carried by rainwater, and eventually make their way into storm drains.

Here’s the thing about Florida storm drains — most of them don’t lead to a treatment plant. They drain directly into our local waterways. So when a heavy afternoon thunderstorm rolls through (and let’s be honest, that’s basically every day from June to September), all that contaminated runoff heads straight for Sarasota Bay, Phillippi Creek, the Braden River, and eventually the Gulf.

The Numbers Are Pretty Wild

The EPA estimates that a single dog produces about 274 pounds of waste per year. Sarasota County alone has hundreds of thousands of registered dogs. Do the math and you’re looking at millions of pounds of dog waste every year across our two counties.

Now imagine even a fraction of that washing into our waterways with every rainstorm.

What It Does to the Water

Dog waste introduces two major problems into our local ecosystem:

Excess nutrients — Dog poop is loaded with nitrogen and phosphorus. When these nutrients enter the water, they fuel algae blooms. You’ve probably seen (or smelled) red tide along our coast. While red tide has multiple causes, nutrient pollution from land-based runoff — including pet waste — contributes to the conditions that make blooms worse and last longer.

Harmful bacteria and pathogens — E. coli, fecal coliform, giardia, and other pathogens from dog waste contaminate the water. This can make it unsafe for swimming, fishing, and other recreation. It also affects the wildlife that depends on clean water — manatees, fish, birds, and everything else that calls this area home.

It’s Not Just a “Big Dog” Problem

You might think one dog in one yard doesn’t make a difference. But it adds up fast — especially in neighborhoods with higher density, like many communities in Lakewood Ranch, Palmer Ranch, or downtown Bradenton. When dozens of homes in the same neighborhood all have dogs, and some of that waste isn’t being picked up regularly, the cumulative impact on the nearest creek or drainage canal is real.

HOA communities and apartment complexes are especially affected. Common dog areas that don’t get cleaned regularly become concentrated sources of contamination every time it rains.

What Sarasota and Manatee County Are Doing

Both counties have stormwater management programs that educate residents about the impact of pet waste on water quality. The message is simple: pick up after your dog, every time.

Some communities have installed pet waste stations with bag dispensers — which is a great start. But stations only work if people use them and if the stations are actually maintained. (Spoiler: we install and service those too.)

What You Can Do

The single most impactful thing you can do is make sure dog waste gets picked up before the next rainstorm — which in Florida, could be in about 20 minutes.

If you’re doing it yourself, great. Bag it, tie it, and toss it in the trash. Don’t leave it in the yard “just for now.”

If you’d rather not think about it at all, that’s where we come in. At Mr. Pick’s, we provide scheduled dog waste removal throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. We scoop it, double-bag it, and dispose of it properly so it never gets the chance to wash into our waterways.

We also offer Wysiwash sanitizing treatments that kill bacteria on contact — so even after the waste is removed, the residual contamination gets neutralized.

It’s a Local Problem With a Local Solution

We started Mr. Pick’s because we live here. We swim at these beaches, we fish in these waters, and we want to keep them clean. Every yard we service is one less source of contamination flowing into Sarasota Bay.

It might seem like a small thing, but multiplied across hundreds of homes, it makes a real difference.

Ready to do your part? Get a free quote or call us at 941-477-0123. Your first cleanup is free with any weekly service.

— Dan & Austin, Mr. Pick’s Pet Waste Removal