7 million pounds of dog poop left on streets and in Mississauga parks each year, city says

Mississauga has a 7.4-million-pound dog poop problem and pet owners must do a better job picking up after Rover before the huge mess spirals out of control and becomes a serious public health issue, city officials warn.

Trails, sidewalks, streets, forests and bushes at local parks are some of the places city cleanup crews are finding countless bags of dog waste carelessly — and potentially dangerously — left behind by pet owners who couldn’t be bothered to properly dispose of the stinky packages.

Overflowing public waste bins are no excuse for those who drop bags of dog waste on the ground next to the filled trash cans, city officials say. Pet owners in such cases should properly dispose of the bag elsewhere and call the city’s information line at 311 to report the filled bin.

With dog ownership in Canada’s seventh-largest city on the rise, City of Mississauga officials estimate the canine population in town produces some 23.6 million pounds (10,705 tonnes) of waste each year. Of that, they note, about 16.2 million pounds are disposed of properly by dog owners and walkers.

That leaves 7.4 million pounds of excrement left somewhere outdoors where it doesn’t belong — and where, over time, it can pose a health risk to both people and animals, city officials said in a news release on Thursday.

“Dog waste may seem small, but it has a big impact on our environment, contributing to methane gas — a greenhouse gas,” Mississauga officials said. “Dog waste left on the ground can also contaminate our water sources, requiring costly treatment. When it rains, dog waste on the ground soaks into groundwater or flows with rain and meltwater into the city’s stormwater system. This flows to nearby streams, creeks, rivers and, ultimately, Lake Ontario.

“If you’re a dog owner, you’re responsible for picking up after your dog outdoors in public spaces. This helps keep our spaces clean, protects our environment and prevents the spread of possible diseases and bacteria,” officials continued, adding dog waste dropped as litter can also attract coyotes and rats.

Not properly disposing of dog waste also carries a $115 fine.

Dog waste stations like the ones shown are set up at 18 parks across the city. (Photo: City of Mississauga)

City officials said in this week’s news release that in order to help with the amount of dog waste going to landfill and to keep recycling bins free of contamination, they’ve installed dog waste stations at 18 parks across Mississauga.

“Through these stations, dog waste is stored below ground in a concrete container where it’s cooler and out of direct sunlight, which helps reduce odour. Waste from these stations is collected when the container is full,” the city said, adding a contractor then empties the containers and transports the contents to a waste-to-energy facility where the dog waste is transformed into energy and diverted from landfill.

Parks where the dog waste stations are available include:

• Dellwood Park
• Jack Darling Park
• Lakeside Park
• Birchwood Park
• Thornlodge Park
• Garnetwood Park Leash Free
• Shavers Trail
• Community Commons
• Mississauga Valleys Park
• Zonta Meadows Linear
• River Grove Park Leash Free
• Linear Park (Burnhamthorpe Road)
• Trappers Green
• Lake Aquitaine
• Quenippenon Meadows
• Totoredaca Park
• Friendship Park
• Churchill Meadows Community Centre and Mattamy Park Leash Free

The careless, messy behaviour of many dog owners in Mississauga isn’t a new issue. Early last year, city officials also went public with a message urging pet owners and dog walkers to be more mindful and respectful.

And in September 2022, city officials pleaded with uncooperative dog owners to clean up their acts when they’re cleaning up after their four-legged friends.

Scenes such as this, where dog owners have irresponsibly disposed of their pets’ waste, are common across Mississauga. (Photo: City of Mississauga)