CALGARY- Pet owners are being reminded to properly dispose of their dog’s waste, following a complaint from a homeowner.
Jemma Blackwell says she can’t leave her black cart in the alley behind her Marda Loop home anymore, because people walking their dogs in the area are constantly leaving their bagged animal waste in it.
“My garbage bin is now the closest to the edge of the street, and people just want to get rid of it I suppose as they continue on their way home. But I get loads and loads of dog poop in my garbage bin,” Blackwell complains. “My neighbour has taken hers away, because she’s even closer to the street and she’s an elderly lady and didn’t want to have to deal with it.”
She adds that it’s a frustrating situation.
“It might just be that you’re on a walk and you want to get rid of it, I can understand that…but it’s not cool for the people who are having to clean it up.”
READ MORE: Pet owners asked to flush their dog’s business
It turns out that besides the stench, it’s also illegal.
The City of Calgary bylaw states:
No person shall deposit waste or recyclable material in a waste container or commercial bin without the consent of:
(a) the owner of the container or bin;
(b) the owner of the property where the container or bin is located; and
(c) the occupant of the property where the container or bin is located.
However, for the city to enforce the bylaw, someone must be caught in the act.
“This bylaw, as I’m sure you can understand, is difficult to enforce because the person dumping garbage in someone else’s bin would have to be caught and there would need to be enough proof to find him/her guilty,” a city spokesperson explained in an e-mail to Global News. “Many homeowners, as a result, keep their bins inside their fences or gates. Some, however, cannot do this.”
Offenders face up to a $250 fine.
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