Top reasons to stoop and scoop:
- Dog waste adds up: The 93,000 dogs in Ottawa produce an estimated 45,000 pounds (20,500) kilograms) of waste per day! When you stoop and scoop, sidewalks, parks and green spaces are much cleaner.
- It is a health hazard: Leaving your dog's waste in areas where children play exposes kids to parasites such as roundworms, as well as bacterial infections. Dog waste can transmit diseases to other people's pets.
- It is an environmental hazard: No matter where you live, spring run-off or heavy rainstorms dilute dog waste and wash it into streams and storm sewers. Water from storm sewers generally flows untreated into the rivers. At these times, dog waste contributes to the river's bacterial content, polluting beaches and waterways, and degrading the natural environment for fish, wildlife and people.
- Removing dog waste is responsible: If we all clean up after our dogs, public opinion of dogs and dog ownership will be much more positive.
- Dog waste can cost you:The City of Ottawa's Animal Care and Control By-law requires that dog waste be removed from public property. If you do get caught "in the act", you may be fined. The by-law also requires that dog waste be disposed of at the dog owner's home - so don't leave it in park or street waste receptacles! There's a fine for that too.
Use a bag or a shovel to pick up the waste and take it home for disposal.
Disposal: The best method of disposal is to flush waste down the toilet. BUT DON'T FLUSH THE BAG! Toilets flow to the sewage treatment plant or septic tanks. Both systems are equipped to handle this kind of waste. Flushing poop also helps us divert waste from the landfill site
