PSA: Hey Toronto, winter isn't an excuse to stop picking up your dog's sh*t

The cold winter weather isn’t exactly amicable for long walks outdoors but if you’re a dog owner in Toronto, you know that isn’t exactly optional.

You know what else isn’t optional? Picking up your pup’s poop.

Failure to clean up after your dog carries a $240 fine according to the City of Toronto Animal Services website, though it seems that the bylaw, and just generally considerate K9 protocol, is all too often ignored in the winter months.

It’s piling up on front lawns and public sidewalks practically everywhere this winter – in front of Toronto’s densely populated condos, the collections of dog waste seem especially plentiful.

While frozen clumps of dog feces sit in stark contrast to fresh white powder, the turds don’t dissolve into the snow and once temperatures rise, or rain falls, the waste turns into an obstacle course for pedestrians as it’s seemingly camouflaged in slushy conditions.

It’s gross… and it’s not going unnoticed.

Social media users, this year and in winter’s past, have not been shy sharing their experiences and disgust.

This may be shocking news to my fellow dog owners in #Toronto: picking up our dog’s shit is one of our many responsibilities. Even in the winter. Don’t blame your laziness and selfishness on the snow.

— roman konigsmark (@talkn27) January 17, 2018

I see the annual Dog Shit Thaw is happening early in #Toronto this year 😷

— dai, as in “day” 🇨🇦|🇨🇴 (@daibyday) January 11, 2018

-23 in Toronto, I just kicked what I thought was a small brown log , turns out it was a massive piece of rock solid dog shit.

— David Lowney. (@Davidlowney91) January 5, 2018

Torontonians can call 311 to “report witnessing a dog owner failing to Stoop N Scoop in a City of Toronto park,” by providing a “description of the dog and dog owner and days and times if this is a repeat occurrence.”

Sadly, condo dwellers and private property owners are kind of SOL, per the City of Toronto website, “You must be able to provide the address of the owner. Animal Services will contact the dog owner to advise of the applicable bylaw and possible penalties for non-compliance. Without the address, Animal Services cannot address the issue.”

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