Winnipeggers looking to the city after used needles found in dog park

By Timm Bruch

WATCH: Bonnycastle Dog Park was opened late last year as an enclosed off-leash area for pooches to play. But dog owners are not the only ones who use it. Global's Timm Bruch reports.

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Winnipeg dog owners are calling for city intervention after finding used needles and trash littered in a new park.

Bonnycastle Dog Park was opened late last year as an enclosed off-leash area for pooches to play.

It has been a popular spot for pet lovers across the city, but, according to some, it’s also a popular place for squatters.

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Darryl Jasper takes his dog Buster to the park twice a day. He said last week he was entering the space when he discovered a needle buried in the snow.

“I was coming in the gate and I found something poking out of the ground,” Jasper said. “That’s when I saw a little orange cap.

“About an inch away from [Buster’s] foot there was a syringe.”

Jasper isn’t the only owner to discover unwanted trash nearby.

Glass pipes, bottles and other needles are a common occurrence near the park, which is at Assiniboine and Garry. It runs adjacent to the River Walk.

But even though it wasn’t the only needles Jasper found, he said Wednesday it’ll take more to scare him away from Bonnycastle.

“I have to worry a little bit more and watch a little bit more,” Jasper said. “But I can’t keep [my dog] tied to my ankle all the time.”

Downtown Winnipeg Biz sends crews out regularly to inspect the area and to clean up. They said the spring thaw can lead to some unappealing trash being revealed after a long winter.

The City of Winnipeg declined a Global News request for an on-camera interview.