That stinks: Don’t drop dog waste bags into path garbage bins

Bylaw requires owners to properly dispose of their pet’s feces

Manor Park dog walkers are on notice — please don’t be dropping your animal’s poop bags into the open trash receptacles placed along the walking paths and neighbourhood parks. 

That’s the message — both on the trash bins themselves and from City Hall. 

Compliance with that directive has been a challenge. All too often, dog owners deposit their pets’ waste into the bins rather than carry the bags home for disposal. The end result, especially during summer, is a lingering, unpleasant odour along the paths that spreads into the nearby community. 

According to the city’s Animal Care and Control By-law, dog owners are required to dispose of dog feces on their own property. Enforcing that rule is another matter, however. 

“Compliance with waste disposal requirements relies primarily on public cooperation and awareness of the posted rules and relevant bylaws,” notes Ian Ferguson, City of Ottawa Program Manager, Waste Collections. 

In a recent exchange with the Chronicle, Ferguson explains the city “encourages residents to follow posted signage regarding dog waste disposal … Instead, residents  should flush pet waste down their toilet or place it in their green bin, properly wrapped and sealed in a leak-proof bag.”

He says the bins “are currently emptied twice per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.” Even at that, the stench remains. 

Possible solution

A possible future solution is a three-stream waste station. These, Ferguson says, are being installed in city parks in accordance with the Parks Waste Diversion Strategy. But given the “relatively small size of this greenspace,” Manor Park is not likely to see one in the near future. 

Green bins, on the other hand, could be in the plans, he notes.

“As staff explore placing green bins in dog parks in 2027, this pathway will be reviewed as part of that work.”