7 Disgusting Things That Happen When You Ignore Dog Poop in Winter

Henry Goldberg17 Dec, 2025Business

Winter in Pittsburgh has a way of hiding things. Snow piles up along sidewalks, ice coats the steps, and dog poop often disappears under a white crust. Many owners assume that once the waste freezes, the germs are gone or at least “on pause” until spring.The science tells a very different story. Cold weather may slow bacterial growth, but it does not reliably kill the pathogens in dog feces, which can reactivate whenever temperatures rise or the snow melts. That’s one of the many reasons regular pet waste removal is important.