I hate writing about dog waste but I know it is a big issue for Stittsville residents.
Under the current rules, dog owners are supposed to bring their doggie bags home and empty them into the toilet. Judging from the constantly overfilled garbage bin at the park near my house (pictured above), it’s safe to say that most of those doggie bags end up in the municipal landfill.
Next Monday, Ottawa’s Environment and Climate Protection Committee (ECPC) will be asked to approve a renegotiated contract with Orgaworld, the company that processes waste from our green bins.
I haven’t had a chance to analyze all 70+ pages of the staff report yet (the full contract has yet be posted online), but one thing that did stand out: if approved, residents will be able to put plastic bags and dog poop into their green bins by mid-2019.
The plastic bags could mitigate some ongoing concerns about cleanliness, odour, and convenience. Accepting dog waste just might keep some of those bags out of city bins like the one at the splash pad near our house. (We are hoping to find a solution with the city to clean it up before this summer.)
Meanwhile, City staff are also looking at a way to turn dog waste into energy. Seriously.
The contract with Orgaworld has caused quite a bit of controversy over the past 5 years, so it should be an interesting discussion at the committee meeting next week.
Hello Stittsville Central,
I love animals, specially wild ones. I don’t have any pets.
I believe that each person has the right to own a dog/s or any other pet BUT with rights…the are also responsibilities.
The amount of dog owners has increased tremendously in the last few years. I pay my taxes to keep my neighbourhood clean and pleasant. I don’t enjoy walking my neighbourhood streets, my parks and natural trails filled with dog poop. I don’t understand it. These dog owners live in the same neighbourhood! Do they enjoy looking at the poop? I thought we were a civilized society.
I would like to see that the city imposes a tax, yes another one, to dog owners, so the city can deal and pay for the problems produced by these owners and their dogs!
This is my opinion and YES I stand my it!
Ana María Rutenberg