Torontonians are fed up with residents not picking up dog poop; City has received over 100 complaints so far this year

Torontonians are complaining about dog owners not picking up their dog poop. 

Recently, Toronto bus shelters have been plastered with City of Toronto posters advising dog owners to keep their dogs on leashes. 

The posters come after new regulations to deal with dangerous dogs in the city were passed, ensuring all dogs must be leashed in public, muzzling if needed, putting dangerous dog tags on pets, and being microchipped. 

As residents continue to spot the posters, there’s also lots of chatter on social media about the fecal issues. 

“I think the most psychotic are the ones that pick it up in the bag and then leave it on top of someone’s household bin,” one person said on Reddit.

“Even worse is when people think ‘biodegradable’ means ‘allow me to huck my dog’s sh*t bag 3m from the trail stuck on top of a bush where it will rot for 80 weeks’,” one Reddit user said. 

Others are complaining about how much unmanaged dog poop can add up over time from just a few dog owners in the area. 

“The thing is that it only takes one or two owners who don’t pick up to start making a big mess. Two owners who don’t pick up could end up leaving like 300 dog turds in your neighbourhood between the warm months of May to September, and hundreds more during the cold months to find as a nasty surprise in the spring thaw,” another Reddit user said. 

According to the City of Toronto’s Animal Bylaw, dog owners can be fined $365 for not picking up their dog’s poop. 

“Dog owners are asked to bag and dispose of dog waste in green bins or garbage bins. Dog owners must immediately pick up dog waste in parks and public spaces and they have up to 24 hours to remove dog waste from their own property,” the city told Now Toronto on Tuesday.

The city acknowledges the ongoing problem of dog poop, as they’ve received 106 complaints so far this year despite holding educational seminars on disposing dog waste, pet licensing, and overall responsible dog ownership. 

“There are 30 bylaw enforcement officers that deal with complaints and issues around dogs in city parks. Additionally, there are 12 officers who enforce excrement pick up outside of parks. The City monitors the volume of complaints and then deploys bylaw enforcement officers based on a priority response model that takes into account the frequency and persistence of complaints and issues,” the city said.