The city has a bylaw that's more than a decade old requiring people to clean up after their dogs in public, but the municipality has yet to issue a single ticket for it.

 reads in part: "Dog owners must pick up after their dog(s) and carry a bag or other means to do so." It states penalties range from $50 up to a mandatory court appearance depending on the severity of the offence. The maximum penalty for an individual is $2,500.

The bylaw was adopted by city council in 2013. So just how successful has it been? Saxon Chung, a spokesperson with the city, told NNSL Medi that a grand total of zero tickets have been issued for this matter.

"Compliance with the bylaw has been achieved through engagement rather than enforcement," he said, noting what data the city has available only dates back to 2021.

As of 2021, 32 dog-feces related complaints have been recorded and investigated, according to Chung.

"Of these, 20 were resolved through education and voluntary compliance, nine were unfounded or no offender could be identified, and three were cleaned up within 72 hours to the satisfaction of the investigating officer," he said.

Chung said the city's bylaw enforcement policy, approved by city council in 2019, outlines how bylaw officers carry out their duties. The policy helps them prioritize enforcement based on council direction, he added.

"Public safety is the top priority for proactive enforcement. All other bylaw enforcement action will be undertaken in response to complaints, such as Bylaw No. 4755, Section 23 - Removal of Feces," Chung added.

Clean, feces-free streets is a public health concern, according to Nicole Spencer, executive director of the NWT SPCA.

She explained that now is the worst time of year for seeing dog poop on the streets as the snow begins to melt and pet business starts to thaw out and reveal itself once again.

Spencer said that leaving dog feces on the streets can carry harmful bacteria and parasites like worms, E. coli and parvovirus which can be transmitted to kids playing outside or to other animals. 

"It could get in waterways, it could get on your feet, you can bring it in your house very easily," she said. "I think it is important for dog owners to pick up after their animals and it definitely is a public health issue."

There's also an aesthetic component to this problem, added Spencer.

It's simply not nice seeing a bunch of dog poop on the street.

"It's horrible walking on the streets and on the sidewalks," she said. "It's like a minefield." 

Spencer noted a few solutions the city could try such as initiatives to educate the public more on the dangers of not scooping the poop. Infrastructure is another, including having more bins on streets and at parks specifically dedicated to dumping dog poop.

She used Fred Henne Park as an example, which could have big red bins there for people to dispose of their dog poop and would make it more convenient for dog owners to dispose of their pet's waste.

The city does have. It even references its poop-scooping bylaw.

Coun. Steve Payne said he would be more than alright with the city handing out fines to those violating the poop bylaw.

"There are a lot of responsible dog owners who have respect for the town and will pick up after their dogs and then we have the other group who have no respect," Said Payne. "It hurts everyone."

One solution, said Payne, might be to create a new Facebook page specifically to shame those not picking up after their furry friends.

"People seem to respond to those types of pages," he said. "It would be fun to see."