Is picking up dog poop safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about picking up dog poop during pregnancy?

1. Toxoplasmosis, the parasite most pregnancy guidance associates with pet waste, is transmitted through handling soil or cat feces containing the parasite, eating undercooked meat, or drinking contaminated water. Cats are the source named throughout, with no mention of dogs as a transmission route. 1
2. Toxocara canis, the roundworm dogs can carry, is a separate organism from the toxoplasmosis parasite. Humans acquire it by accidentally ingesting contaminated soil rather than through direct contact with an infected dog, and the recommended precaution is deworming pets and hygienically disposing of their feces. 2
3. Toxocara eggs shed in fresh feces are not yet infective; a review of risk-reduction strategies for zoonotic Toxocara transmission specifically recommends immediate removal of dog feces because the eggs have not had time to develop into an infective stage at that point. 3
4. Contamination research on public parks found egg-positive soil samples concentrated most heavily at park entrances, followed by playgrounds, with a pooled global prevalence of about 21% across 109 studies of soil samples from public spaces, meaning the bigger real-world risk is heavily trafficked shared ground rather than a single dog's own fresh waste. 4
5. MotherToBaby's toxoplasmosis guidance recommends wearing gloves for contact with cat litter or garden soil and washing hands immediately afterward, a general hygiene habit around soil and animal waste that reasonably extends to yard cleanup even though the fact sheet itself is written specifically about cats. 1

Is picking up dog poop safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. There's no research suggesting this trimester carries extra risk from dog waste specifically. If you already have a dog, your routine exposure to your own yard hasn't changed; the higher-contamination spots documented in research are heavily trafficked public spaces like park entrances, not a single dog's fresh waste in your own yard.
• Second trimester. No new pregnancy-specific concern shows up in this trimester either. If bending over to scoop is getting uncomfortable, that's a good practical reason to hand off the job, separate from any infection risk.
• Third trimester. Still no documented trimester-specific change in risk. A long-handled pooper-scooper or asking someone else to handle yard duty is a reasonable comfort accommodation as your belly grows, alongside your usual handwashing habit.