St. Albert cracking down on dog poo with steep fines

The City of St. Albert is cracking down on dog poothis spring with a clear message to dog owners: pick up, or pay up.

In April, dog owners found leaving Fido's feces on the ground will be issued $250 fines, and owners who don't carry bags while walking their dogs will be issued $80 fines.

Peace officers will be increasing patrols, and thecity said it hopes the zero-tolerance policy will keep dog parks cleaner and safer for everyone.

Piles of dog excrement are a problem in the spring, when stinky surprises emerge from beneath melting snow. Because of that, St. Albert does two cleanups a yearin the spring and fallto keep streets and parks clean.

In 2015, almost six tonnesof feces werepicked up. In 2017, almost four tonneswerepicked up, and in 2018 about two and a half tonneswereremoved.

Last year, two fines were issued to owners not carrying bags, and one was issued to an owner who didn't clean up after a dog, said Garnet Melnyk, a supervisor with the city's peace officer program.

He suspects owners might genuinely not spot the scat if they're distracted at the dog park.

"Maybe people are in the off-leash areas when its snowing and they lose sight of their dog and they lose sight of where the defecation is and they try to find it and they can't find it and it gets covered up by the snow," he said.

Take an interest in keeping our city clean and healthy, because then it becomes a safe and happy place for everyone.- Jacquie Hansen

Councillor and dog owner JacquieHansen said she thinksthe zero-tolerance policy is not unreasonable.

The vast majority ofdog owners are responsible and pick up after their pets, she said, but it's that small number that can really cause a stink for everyone.

"It's a real shame when you walk around dog parks and trails and you see that people are just leaving their dog doo-doo behind, and you just wonder where that's coming from and how they can do that to our city," she said.

Hansen said the city could do a better job of ensuring bag dispensaries around dog parks and trails are stocked, but owners should remember to carry their own bags perhaps enough to offer extras to others in a pinch.

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Doggie doo-doo is a health concern for everyone, she said, including children who frequent the playgrounds and parks.

Hansen said she enjoys spending time with her Boston terrier Molly at dog parks and said its everyone's responsibility to keep them clean.

"Just be responsible and be proud of our city," she said.

"Take an interest in keeping our city clean and healthy, because then it becomes a safe and happy place for everyone."