A Toronto condo wants to charge dog owners $15 a month, but is that legit?

[oldjones]

Must admit it, I do not like dog owners in this city. They are the worst.

The government should just ban dogs from the city of Toronto, period.

Ever notice those dog parks, where owners can unleash their dogs?

They use to do that.

Now, dogs are running unleashed everywhere.

Most days I do a 5km through my neighbourhood of single family homes. It depresses me greatly to see how many of the prosperous, polite and friendly dog-walkers I encounter conscientiously pick-up and bag their puppy's poo, only to lazily leave the bag nastily festering on the side of the road in front of a neighbour's home.

As with all groups, some dog-owners are shits; my sympathies are with the condo boards and property managers.

 

[james t kirk]

Dogs are great. Cats too. Raccoons, skunks and possums, all good.

Their owners should clean up after them. Simple as that. This city bends over backwards to accommodate every special interest group under the sun. If anything a garbage bin in the park should be mandatory.

 

[rhuarc29]

I always clean after my dog. But you can be damn sure if I'm paying a fee for it, I'll stop doing it myself. And that fee better be used to pay someone else to do it.

Frankly, I think we should just be encouraging the lazy to clean after their pets.

 

[oldjones]

I always clean after my dog. But you can be damn sure if I'm paying a fee for it, I'll stop doing it myself. And that fee better be used to pay someone else to do it.

Frankly, I think we should just be encouraging the lazy to clean after their pets.

How would you suggest 'we' do that? The Condo Board could refund the fee — which would likely have to be higher — to owners who submit their pet's DNA profiles and manage a full year without a detectable 'accident'. Or tally the doggy-caused cleanup costs over the year and refund the deposits/assess penalties, leaving voluntary policing (both kinds) to fellow-owners. Is that the sort of thing you'd call encouragement?

I jog with sidewalk chalk in my pocket, and write nasty comments beside the abandoned poo-bags. They do disappear after that.

For awhile.

 

[Mr Deeds]

I always clean after my dog. But you can be damn sure if I'm paying a fee for it, I'll stop doing it myself. And that fee better be used to pay someone else to do it.

Frankly, I think we should just be encouraging the lazy to clean after their pets.

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Its almost impossible to police people who don't clean up after their dogs. There are some condos who levy a fine if they catch people walking their dogs on the property.The problem is that in condo law there are few remedies for breaking the rules. For a rule like this to be successful the corporation will have to prove that dogs do cause additional expense and drain existing resources . The other problem is with a change of board the rule can be rescinded depending on if the new board are dog owners. Communal living requires a lot of tolerance and since the industry is relatively new there will be many more changes to the act as more people buy condos because they cant afford to buy houses in the city.

 

[huckfinn]

I have owned pets in the past, and always cleaned up after them, and I can't stand owners who don't take responsibility.

I also despise people who litter......and lately that's mostly cigarette butts that I see everywhere! Where I live now, we've had balcony fires due to people throwing butts over the rail when they're done.

 

[reaper29]

I always clean after my dog. But you can be damn sure if I'm paying a fee for it, I'll stop doing it myself. And that fee better be used to pay someone else to do it.

Frankly, I think we should just be encouraging the lazy to clean after their pets.

+1. Totally agree with you. There are asshole pet owners out there, but I think it's the small minority that ruins it's for the rest.

 

[bazokajoe]

You are right,pet owners are inconsiderate assholes. But wait until the inconsiderate pot heads light up and stink up your condo building, and nothing you can do about it.

 

[Kawailuvr]

I am a dog owner and I do live downtown in a condo . I do agree that many ( not all ) dog owners are lazy
And leave the waste in plain site and make no effort at all to clean it up . I believe the city workers that patrol the non leash free parks should be doing some ticketing here and in all the condo areas . A few hefty tickets and hopefully they would change their ways . Something to think about also is if we stop having pets these animals will be running all over the streets just like in third world countries and how would you snobby arrogant bastards like that ???
For the record pets aren’t the only problem where I live , the 20 something’s that behave like savages drinking and drugging leave their empty bottles and party cups everywhere after a weekend . You need to see early Sunday mornings in the summer around here , you would think it was a night club ,? Are they getting a fine or a penality ?
As for kids OMG the entitlement of parents today ,, I have two neighbors that have kids and they are noisy as hell but they get a complete pass because it’s kids !! God help you thatbyou asked them to shut the god damn noise makers up ... find something else to bitch and complain about . Try doing what I do when some savage leaves the waist on the street just shame them and offer them a poop bag to pick it up you can get them at the dollar store for $2 !! Leave the animals alone and start looking at your own poor behaviour !!

 

[rhuarc29]

How would you suggest 'we' do that?

Provide doggie bags and disposal bins in frequented areas, then police things with video surveillance.

 

[Occasionally]

Provide doggie bags and disposal bins in frequented areas, then police things with video surveillance.

I doubt that would work.

Dog owners who let their dog shit everywhere and not pick it up doesn't have to do with "Oops. I always pick up after him, but this one time I ran out of plastic bags".

Irresponsible dog owners know exactly what they are doing. Lazy to buy bags. Lazy to use bags. And it's not like plastic bags costs a ton of money. I highly doubt putting some free bags to use will suddenly make them use it.

 

[Mr Deeds]

Provide doggie bags and disposal bins in frequented areas, then police things with video surveillance.

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Thats already being done but unfortunately a lot of condo residents are lazy, self entitled, people who think they dont have to take responsibility for their own homes.
I see this every day. They think because they pay maintenance fees they can do what ever they want and someone will clean up the mess

 

[oldjones]

Police and penalties don't make people behave as they should, they only (expensively) identify the bad guys, some of whom never learn. But people do learn from each other, public pressure actually does work. When was the last time anyone asked whether you minded if they smoked? They don't anymore, just discreetly go outside.

What the condo board needs is a strategy to have the good owners pointing out the benefits of cleanliness to the bad ones.