Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Check. Leprechauns, The Great Pumpkin and Cupid. All check.

There is no Poop Fairy.

So, unfortunately for dog owners here in Whitehorse, it’s their responsibility to pick up after their pets.

According to current city bylaws, there is a fine for leaving dog feces on public trails, parks and sidewalks.

According to Sec 58 of the Office Consolidation of Animal Control Bylaw 2001–01:

“No owner of an animal shall allow the animal to defecate on public land within the City, or on private property other than the owner’s. It is not a violation of this section where the owner of an offending animal immediately cleans up and properly disposes of the defecation.”

For bylaw officers who patrol those areas, it’s almost impossible to catch perpetrators (being the human half of that equation) who leave dog feces in public spaces.

Bylaw officer Const. Francois Oullet, who is a meter attendant for the downtown, said where he patrols there don’t seem to be as many offenders.

“It doesn’t happen often. In the last five years, I maybe caught one person doing it.”

But out on the trails and in public green spaces it tends to be more common.

Oulette said typically if an officer sees an infraction where the pet owner simply walked away, an officer would fine the perpetrator.

They [the officer] would promptly chase them [the offender] down and issue a ticket.”

He added that the current fine is $100 if someone is caught breaking the law, but said someone who picks up after their pet is not considered in violation of the City’s bylaw on animal poop. 

Whitehorse Mayor Laura Cabott even posted a Facebook video message on the City’s page, recently, asking dog owners to ensure they pick up after their pets.

In the past, dog owners who did collect their pet’s waste, while on a walk, could use a plastic grocery bag, which were, up until recently, readily available. However, since plastic bags were banned in January, it’s one less tool to mitigate Fido’s generous “offering” on the trail. However there are many alternatives available, from dog-specific compostable baggies, sold at numerous retailers in the city, to organics-composting bags (sold in grocery stores), to engineering marvels like the myriad of famed pooper scoopers.

City trails are being swept clean, as we speak. However, it’s startling that, in less than 24 hours of city crews removing a winter’s worth of debris and dookie, a fresh new pile can be deposited and then left for someone else to deal with.

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