What's the scoop on dog waste in public parks?

Residents of Ottawa's Riverside South suburb are finding themselves at the centre of a lively debate after successfully lobbying for signs on their local park's garbage cans telling dog owners to put their pet's poop elsewhere.

City signs posted to garbage cans in Whooping Crane Park read, "NO ANIMAL WASTE PLEASE." Another more common sign advises dog walkers in the park to "Stoop & Scoop."

Igniting some discussion online, park goers applauded the new signage, saying stinky garbage — especially near playsets or other structures — ruins the fun for others.

But it also has dog owners saying they worry the signs could discourage people from picking up after their pets.

Bylaw says poop should be taken home

"Like a lot of people around the park, we have small kids," said Harjot Dhindsa, who lives across the street from Whooping Crane Park. "They come and play in the park and on one particular day, it was a very hot day, we noticed that there was a weird smell coming around the park."

He said he complained to the city about the stench but another neighbour took charge and got the signs installed. He said he first spotted the signs in May or June.

According to the city, the Animal Care and Control By-law requires that dog owners dispose of feces on their own property.

"The City of Ottawa encourages flushing pet waste down the toilet, as it will be properly treated at the sewage plant," says a written statement from Jennifer Therkelsen, Ottawa's acting director of bylaw services.

"Dog owners can also place waste in their green bin that is properly wrapped in absorbent paper and placed in a sealed, leak proof bag."

Green bins provided at some parks

Ian Ferguson, Ottawa's program manager for waste collections, said most parks where dogs are allowed have signs near the waste receptacles, a practice put in place over the past three years.

He said 56 Ottawa parks also have separate streams to allow users to dispose of their garbage, recycling or organics — including dog waste — appropriately.

"This initiative has been extremely popular," Ferguson said.

The city says that following the approval of the Solid Waste Master Plan in June 2024, a broader-scale diversion program, including recycling and organics bins, is coming to more parks and other locations soon.

"It's OK if it works," said dog walker Rachel Bernier about the new signs at Whooping Crane Park. She was letting two poodles exercise at a dog park a few minutes drive away.

"But I don't think it would work because we're even having trouble getting people to pick up the dog waste in the dog parks regularly."

Bernier said many of the dog parks she frequents have designated containers for animal waste. She said she questions how effective signs like the ones at Whooping Crane Park will be without having such bins for pet owners to use.

"I'm walking several dogs at one time, so that's going to be quite stinky in my vehicle after a while, especially in the summertime," she said. "So it's, to me, not practical."

Change a breath of fresh air, says resident

Dhindsa said most people respect the bylaw and he's noticed improvements at his local park already.

"Generally people, whoever I've talked to after the signs are put up, especially the dog owners — once they're aware, they make a conscious decision not to throw the dog poop there," he said.

He said he'd like to see clearer messaging come to some of the other, larger parks in the area.

"Some more effort on educating the dog owners will go a long way," he said. 

"Whichever dog owner I have talked to were like, 'Oh, we did not know that.' And the second question they ask me is, 'Is this a new law?'"

But despite warnings spelled out in capital letters, Dhindsa said he still sees some who ignore the signs — and some who miss the garbage bin altogether and leave it on the ground.

"The dog poop is still there, [just] not to that extent," he said.