Essex mayor calls for responsible pet ownership after surge in dog-doo discoveries

As snow melts, the Essex mayor is urging the community to pick up after their dogs. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell has more.

As melting snow reveals what had been buried through the winter months, Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy said dog waste left in public spaces has become a widespread and recurring problem.

“Now that the snow is melted, you can see it everywhere,” Bondy said in an interview.

“It’s in front of town hall. It’s by our arenas, by our tennis courts, at our parks, at the Harrow Memorial Veterans Park. We can’t escape it.”

Bondy raised the issue this week on social media, calling the situation “gross” and urging dog owners to take responsibility. She said the concern resurfaces each year, particularly at Harrow Veterans Memorial Park, where she noted staff recently collected roughly 60 piles of dog feces during a cleanup.

“These were not, like, little nuggets,” she explained.

“These were huge, big turds. And it becomes heavy. And then it’s just a gross job.”

Bondy said she has asked municipal administration to explore potential long-term solutions and has added the matter to an upcoming committee of the whole meeting, where council and staff discuss issues more informally.

Among the options being considered are increased enforcement or possible restrictions in certain areas.

“Maybe it’s a place where we say no dogs allowed. I don’t know,” Bondy said, referring to the memorial park.

“There may be locations where we have to up enforcement.”

While some residents have suggested installing more bag dispensers or hiring a private cleanup company, Bondy said those measures come at a cost and may not solve the underlying issue.

“Everything comes with a cost,” she stated.

“Some people don’t even use those dog poop bags correctly. They pick it up and then they throw the bag. So now you have plastic surrounded by poop. People just need to be responsible.”

Bondy said municipal staff will continue to clean affected areas, when necessary, but she would prefer not to rely on taxpayer-funded crews to address the problem.

“I really don’t want town staff cleaning up dog poop,” she said.

“You have a pet — that comes with it. It’s part of the pet responsibility package.”

At Sadler Park in Essex, responsible dog owners said the solution begins with individual accountability.

Doug Brockman, who was with his dog Tuxedo, said he always carries bags.

“That’s why I always come prepared,” Brockman said.

“Gotta be responsible, right? Being a pet owner.”

He noted that parks are often busy with families and young children, particularly on sunny days.

“The last thing I want is that on the bottom of your shoe,” he said.

Brockman suggested additional garbage receptacles with lids along walking routes could help, as some dog owners are required to carry waste for extended distances before finding a bin.

In Harrow, residents expressed particular concern about the condition of Veterans Memorial Park.

Dan Sauve called it “very ignorant” for people not to clean up after their pets in a space intended to honour fallen veterans.

“This is uncalled for. And whoever is doing it needs to stop. And if you did it, I’m sure you probably remember where your dog put it. So why don’t you kindly come back and clean up after your mess?” Sauve suggested.

“You might as well call it landmines in the vet park.”

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 338 President Paul Chartier said it’s been an ongoing concern in Harrow that continues to be a big disappointment.

“It’s not a dog park; it’s a veteran’s park. It’s a memorial,” Chartier exclaimed.

“If you’re going to have a pet, be responsible. It’s only common sense that you pick it up. There are people that just don’t get it. I’m speechless. It’s a small little park. It’s not huge. There’s a lot of other areas to take your dogs to go run but clean up after yourself. Maybe they should start handing out fines and then you’ll get the whole point of it.”

Fred Groves, a dog walker and sitter, agreed that owners must clean up after their animals, but said additional disposal options could also help.

“In fairness to dog owners, if there was more chance to put the dog poops in — some parks have places where you can get poop bags — I think that would be helpful too,” Groves said.

Bondy said the town is increasing signage and encouraging residents to report repeat offenders, though enforcement can be difficult unless someone is caught in the act.

She noted fines can reach upwards of $300.

“At the end of the day, it would just really be nice if people would just pick up their dog poop,” she said.